Sleeping In

"Sleeping In"

12"x12" oil on Raymar panel

The wind on the coast of Maine comes up in the afternoon and generally dies at sunset. Early in the morning it’s usually very calm, and that’s when fisherman (lobstermen included) go out to do their work. But not always. We’ve run into some interesting situations, cruising the coast in our boat over the last 25 years. 

For example, why is no one lobstering on Sunday? I’m always taking pictures of lobster boats, and especially like to see them working. But in the summer they don’t appear on Sundays. Maine state law explains why: 

Closed Period - Title 12, Section 6440

It is against the law to raise or haul any lobster trap during closed periods.

• It is unlawful to haul lobster gear from ½ hour after sunset until ½ hour before sunrise between June 1st and October 31st.
• It is unlawful to haul lobster gear after 4:00 pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time, Saturday until ½ hour before sunrise the following Monday morning from June 1st to August 31st, both days inclusive.

Who knew? Now I know why these boats are sleeping in!

"Dinghies" - Day 3 of Leslie Saeta's workshop

"Dinghies"

12"x12" oil on gessobord

This one took quite a bit of time, including a few hours after the workshop; partly due to the detail in the boats, and the size. There is a lot of paint mixing for a 12"x12".

A few things I've learned about palette knife painting:
- Lots and lots of paint is required! Buy the big tubes.
- Paint on the palette must be spread out so that you only pick up a bit on the edge of the knife. This means that you need a really big palette. That's going to be tough for plein air unless traveling by car, with a small table to augment the palette area.
- It's important to remember to clean the knife after every stroke. You get messy edges and mottled color if you don't. So lots of paint gets thrown out.
- It's great to only have a few knives to clean up, which is easy to do with wet wipes. A plus for traveling.

Bottom line, it's really fun, and certainly different. I recommend giving it a try. And you won't have more fun than in a class with Leslie.