Rockport, Mass. - Front Beach

"Wading at Sunset, Front Beach - Rockport, MA" (12"X16", Oil on Canvas, $450)

This is another example of the kind of quiet subject matter that I like to paint, as mentioned in the previous post. This is the beach that was the preferred one in Rockport when I grew up there and it still is. Back Beach is just over the hill to the left, but it's always been very rocky, rather than sandy, like Front Beach. Front Beach also has a diving float in the summer, seen here just offshore as the tide is at its lowest point. the lone wader is taking advantage of the last rays of the day, sharing the water with the sailboats moored offshore. The small rocks and rivulets in the foreground catch the sun which will soon be setting from the sky above.

The end of Bearskin Neck is seen in silhouette on the right. The big rock in the water on the left is where I used to find big crabs, under the seaweed. This type of low tide was the only time to do that, of course, since usually it was completely below the waterline, and the ocean in Rockport is always cold, even in July and August. (The best way to tell if the ocean will be cold is if it's deep blue as you approach it. The rockport ocean water is almost always navy blue).

I think I'll re-paint this picture some day, much larger. I love the roiling sunset clouds and the golden rays coming out at radiating angles from the source. The tiny silhouette of the wader is the kind of subtle focal point that's sometimes only noticed after the viewer reads the title.