Sundown at Port Isabel

8x10 Oil on board

     Just when I was having pretty good luck using greys, I came across a sunset with  beautiful warm sky!  I'm also a sucker for lighthouses.  The lighthouse at Port Isabel was a little disappointing as it is located in a very congested area, full of restaurants, shops and traffic!  

We stopped by the lighthouse at sunset one evening and I thought the colorful sky, and silhouetted palm trees simplified the busy area.  I also used my artistic license to remove some traffic lights and electricity poles!

Seagull Siesta

6x8 Oil on Canvas

      For a land locked couple from Kansas City, our daily walks on the beach are wonderful!  The sounds and smells of the Gulf are exceptional.  I was told that seagulls tuck one foot underneath them when they are resting but I never observed this first hand until the other morning.  A lone seagull was taking a little siesta as we strolled by, with my camera in hand to record it.

     Back at the condo, I still had a lot of nice warm greys mixed from my previous painting so I set up my easel down by the pool and painted this "sleeping seagull".

Storm Approaching

                                                                 Oil on Board    8x10

      I am so thankful that I can entertain myself on a cold, dreary day in South Padre Island, TX.  We have been here a week and have experienced a "mixed bag" of weather including an ice storm.  Yesterday we got in a nice long walk on the beach.  It appeared that everyone knew bad weather was coming and this was the last chance to get a walk in for a few days.  I snapped a few shots with my phone as I liked the misty look the approaching front provided.
     Today we were held up all day in our condo.  It was 37 degrees this morning.  I got out my easel and started playing with the photo I took yesterday.  I started with 3 neutral greys and gradually built in a few more colors near the end, repeating my favorite phrase, "less is more" as I finished.