Parsons Beach, 28x42, oil on linen,
On a windy, midsummer day at the mouth of the Mousam River, the locals escape to Parsons Beach, Maine. Some have first stopped at Bennett's Store to fill their coolers with sandwiches, beer, and cookies. Others come to fish on the shifting banks of the river, or jump into the rippling current with their tube or boogie board. The umbrellas are dug in deep fighting the wind and shading the sun. They may not realize that these are unforgettable days.
This large work evolved over months. It started with sketches and studies from various perspectives, settling on this angle with the sun high and slightly behind. A thin cloud dims the light on the distant point of land and trees, making it recede further and at the same time acting as a foil for the flat, hazy surrounding colors.