"Wells Marsh Sunset"

Wells Marsh Sunset

5"x7" oil on Centurion Linen panel

On Monday I painted with the Plein Air Painters of Maine in Wells, on the marsh.  A beautiful afternoon, still warm, though windy on the beach, and we stayed through sunset. I've included a video here, which you may need to click on the title of the post to see, if you are reading this from the email.

"From Mt. Agamenticus"

From the top of Mt. Agamenticus, in York, Maine, around 5PM on Oct. 14

5"x7" oil on Centurion oil primed linen panel

The same view, about 5:30PM

And again around 6PM

On Monday I painted with the Plein Air Painters of Maine southern group, at Mt. Agamenticus State Park on top of the mountain of that name in York. Mary Byrom and I decided to stay and paint the sunset, using an approach she calls "painting into the sunset". First, we painted looking towards where we though the sun would set, just to get our bearings. Then as the sun started to set, we each began a second painting. And we managed to get a third as well. We were painting so fast, it was amazing. The sky was changing even faster though! As I said to Mary, what could be more fun than this?

"Pratt's Brook Marsh"

Pratt's Brook Marsh

9"x12" oil on Raymar panel

Initial Drawing

Not finished, but the light had gone...

End of first session

I had lots of fun at the marsh behind Day's Lobster in Yarmouth, Maine last weekend. It was just before sunset and I'd get an occasional glimpse of the sun, just enough to light up the marsh grass with that wonderful autumn glow. I'm always amazed at how fast the tide moves in the creek bed, it was a challenge to fix one water level in my memory. I wasn't quite finished when the light had gone and so went back a couple of nights later, catching the rising instead of ebbing tide. The finished painting is at the top.