Middle Beach Again

watercolor 4x6

 Another walk to the middle beach on May 15  and it didn't rain, so I finished this one on site.  I haven't been painting much, at least not successfully.  I try to think of the failures as a success in learning how not to do things, but lately it is getting discouraging.

May Fifth at the Beach

watercolor 5x5

 It was a lovely day when I painted this at the beach. So many new spruce!

Middle Beach

4x6

I began this on Sunday when I walked to Middle Beach, but had to stop when rain drops started hitting my painting. I finished with a photograph yesterday morning.  I had moved the tree in the middle over to the right when I sketched, but forgot I wanted it there and copied it where it was in the photo.  I love the colors of sweet gale and equisetum this time of year. 

Saturday at the Beach

watercolor and ink 5x7

Spring is slow coming here, with not many nice days.  At least the snow is going away with the rainy days.  Saturday afternoon was lovely and I spent a couple of hours walking and painting at the beach.  Over the winter, thankfully, the beach and upland meadows have been closed to vehicles. I'll be spending more time there as the warmer weather comes.
This is my favorite spruce which somehow has been saved from being pruned by the spruce tip pickers.  Each year, I'm amazed by the growth of the small trees.  As the rebound continues, a forest is beginning.

Florida Trip

5x7

We made plans in December to go to Florida at the end of Feb. for a couple of months, considered cancelling because of the virus, but went anyway so I could have cataract surgery.  And I did, just in time before the doctor stopped surgeries.  I'm seeing colors a lot more vividly, everything is way brighter and my distance vision is amazingly better.  I'm now having trouble finishing a couple of paintings started before the surgery...values are off from what I remember.

We flew home on March 26 and have been on strict quarantine ever since and will stay that way for however long it takes.

These are the few little paintings I did while there, and all but the next one were done before surgery on either eye.  This one was done after the first eye.

4x6

 

 This is a pond behind my brother's house where we stayed most of the time.  I've painted it several times on other trips, but the fountain is new to the scene.

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This is also next to the pond.

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And this is Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, a favorite place.

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7x5

We made a short trip to Cedar Key where I painted the oak tree at the top of the post and attempted to paint scrub pines without success.  I remember trying to draw them when I was a kid.  I tried to draw every needle. 

New Year's Day

One of three little sky studies from my studio around 1pm.  The sun showed it face a few times today, but now it is snowing.