During this COVID isolation I had to have a change of scenery with another summertime camping trip. This time I made reservations at Horseneck Beach State Reservation near Westport in Southwestern Massachusetts. This coastline area has the most beautiful old stone walls lining the countryside roads, meandering across properties and marking pasture land borders.
 |
| Charlotte's Yard, 12x16 |
These stones, described more like medium sized, round granite rocks, covered the beaches as well. At high tide when the waves hit the beach and pulled back to the ocean, a sound of rolling marbles knocking about was very soothing and musical. Some of these beach stones were transported back to camp to weigh down the picnic table clothes to prevent them from flying away.
 |
| Morning High Tide, 8x10 |
I think a couple of Green crabs flew in as well either by the winds or dropped by a sea gull. One was found hiking along the asphalt road near my camper. At Demarest Lloyd State Park in Dartmouth, I had to pardon myself and gingerly tip toe through a large colony of Fiddler Crabs. Perhaps hundreds were mucking about on a path I was on to get to a painting site along a canal.
 |
| Demarest Lloyd State Park |
And while painting at another beach, I chatted with a gal jeweler who stopped to admire my painting and to talk shop. In her hands were the most beautiful, large Blue Crab claws she had found while beach scavenging: a color blend of red, white and blue. I later learned female claw tips are colored a bright cadmium red…like painted fingernails I thought.
 |
| Crab Carapaces, charcoal/conte drawings |
During this camping/painting trip I had to endure the gusty winds that never seemed to subside. One morning at 3am, I awoke to feel my camper being pummeled back and forth. These horrific winds died down after more than an hour of rocking. Most of my cooking time was spent shielding my propane stove with my body from the winds. One morning I had to forgo a thermos of hot tea. The water in the metal pot wouldn’t boil because the heat from the flames quickly dissipated into thin air from the winds. And these pesky winds made painting a bit of a challenge too with one hand holding onto canvases so they wouldn’t sail away from the easel.
 |
| Paquachuck Inn, 12x16 |
During this painting get away, the area's sunrises and sunsets were a bit peculiar in color caused by the smoke particles caught up in the upper atmosphere emitted from the ferocious forest fires of California and other western states. No cerulean blue skies during the day as well. So the paintings were a bit on the grey side of the color spectrum but no less interesting to paint.
 |
| Farm for Sale, 8x10 Westport Rivers Vineyard, 8x10 |
