Approaching Storm

Approaching Storm

$100

Oil on Linen
11x14 inches
04/14/2007
Dauphin Island

All day long the radio had been warning that a large storm was approaching from Mississippi. The time was past 5:00 p.m., the wind was strong, and it had started to rain. This seemed like a great time to go to the beach and paint.

I thought that I would be able to find some shelter at the beach and be able to paint a good atmospheric beach scene. When I arrived, it didn't matter that the wind was especially strong and it was raining. This was just as I pictured it would be. If I could just find a place to put my easel where it wouldn't fly away, I'd be in luck. Unfortunately, this proved to be a bit more difficult than I anticipated.

There were beach shelters but they were too exposed and the view wasn't right. So I carried my paint kit to the fishing pier and found a spot underneath. Setting the easel up in order to stand and paint was out of the question. It would have blown over. Besides, under the pier there were piles of rocks placed to prevent erosion.

I set the easel up at a lower height level and piled rocks on it to weight it down. I sat down on a rock and took a long look at what I wanted to paint. It was after 6:00 p.m. and would be dark in less than an hour. I would have to think it out, keep it simple, and paint fast. The landscape went well, and then as I painted in the sky, the clouds broke a bit allowing a pot of orange to appear where the sun was trying to break through. Shorebirds were everywhere and I was tempted to add them to the painting but then thought about trying to pack up in the dark. Bye bye birds.

I made it out just in time, and it was already dark as I crossed the bridge. I missed a turn on the way back to Mobile and nearly ended up in Mississippi. Thankfully my van has a compass.