Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts

Thursday, January 26, 2012

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.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Fortress by the Sea

Here's a painting that I recently finished of a house on Long Island Sound set high above a stone wall. I'm sure that it has a great view. I started this painting in the winter, so there was snow on the beach and some of the rocks. It is the only time of the year that you can see any part of the house.  I struggle with rocks every time that I do them, but I figure that the more I try, the better they become.

 "Fortress on the Sound" 16"x 20" oil on canvas. $440.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Charles Island

Silver Sands Beach in Milford has a nice boardwalk with marshes filled with wildlife and a nice strip of beach from which you can see Charles Island. It was named after Charles Dern, a former owner of the island. There is a sandbar that extends out towards the island, making it nearly accessible by land during low tides. This was a crisp fall day and the winds were really kicking up. It was perfect weather for sailing.

"Charles Island" 9x12 $295 Available at Something of Bev's

Friday, August 15, 2008

Girls Day at the Beach


These ladies decided to grab their chairs and towels and head for the beach for some sun. There were a few other families there, though it was a private beach, so it wasn't really crowded. I used a warm color palette on this one, and I'm happy with the turnout. The ladies were quite surprised to be the subject of my painting, but pleased nonetheless.

Oil on Canvas, 11"x14", Sold

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Plein Air in Old Saybrook


I went out to Old Saybrook to paint one day last week. The weather was perfect and there was a slight breeze off of the calm water. The tide was low with a significant amount of sand bars peaking through the water. I was so involved with executing this painting that I painted nonstop for four hours. I am pretty happy with the results of this one. It really captured the mood and the light of the day.

Oil on Canvas, 11"x14", $350.
To purchase, go to my Website, www.pattymegliostudio.com