16 x 20", oil on linen panel, 2019. Available from the Artist $3000
Painting sunrise en plein air presents a particular challenge. The light is incredibly fleeting in the early hours. My plan of attack for paintings like this is to plan my composition, establish my drawing, arrive early, and paint fast while the light is doing what I want. This painting marks the point in time at 7am, right before the sun breaks over the distant hills. Once the sun breaks, the soft, defused morning light becomes sharp, and my moment of opportunity passes. I returned to this spot 4 times to complete this 16x20" painting. One of the mornings, I arrived to find the beach totally obscured by heavy fog, see the painting "Socked-in on Main Beach" to see what I did given the change of scenery. I also repainted this scene back home in my studio. Find the painting "7am on Main Beach," here on my website, to see a different take on the same concept.