Painting Beaches in New England

I love to paint beaches in and around New England. What's great about New England beaches is that they are all so different looking. Some are rocky and some are very sandy and white, while others are tan or a deep tawny rose, covered in seashells and old driftwood. There are beaches that are barely there while others stretch for miles. A number of them are lined in seaweed; others are interspersed with boardwalks, retaining walls, or even huge sand dunes. Here and there, you will see retaining walls with houses built right up to the edges. The views must be breath taking, but a little scary in a storm. Maine's beaches are interspersed with huge boulders that sport some great crashing waves, but if you go a little south to Cape Cod, you will see nothing but huge mounds of sand dunes all along the coast. The coast line of Connecticut is a mix of both rocks and sand, but it doesn't have the pristine beaches of the Caribbean. It does have interesting views of salt marshes, beach bungalows, and boat moorings. You can almost always find someone walking their dog, or children playing in the sand or water, even in the cooler months. It's often a surprise when I go beach hunting, so I keep an open mind, because it's always changing.

The above painting is in nearby Milford, CT, during high tide. I loved the way the sand wound its way out to sea, and the interesting blue-green rocks that lined the coast in one area. The area does have a tiny beach, which I will explore at a later date.