I knew I'd be teaching mostly pastel this week, so Sunday I decided to get out and hone my pastel skills. I also had an older, framed pastel painting that I wanted to replace with new work. Its frame holds a 12x18 painting -- twice the size of my usual 9x12 pastels! Also, I like this longer format. A 9x12 has a 3:4 (0.75) ratio, but a 12x18 has a 4:6 (0.67) ratio, which is more panoramic and thus more suitable for broad ocean views.
I packed up the pastel gear and headed over to Raccoon Beach, which has a wonderful view of the bold coast of Campobello Island. But as luck would have it, Raccoon Beach was completely fogged in. So, I drove back to the other side of the island, near Friar's Bay, where I remember glimpsing a bit of open sky. I headed for the top of Friar's Head and its observation deck.
I didn't realize that the Roosevelt Cup, an annual regatta, was going on. What a perfect opportunity! From my overlook, I could see the sailboats gracing Friar's Bay and the low fog that added an element of mystery. Although the boats were speeding along, I made sure to sketch one key boat in my initial sketch before fog or speed took it away.
Despite the come-and-go fog, I had a great view from the top, and it was fun to watch the boats as they sailed around Dudley and Treat Islands. (In the painting, you can see both, plus the "tidal dam" that Roosevelt and Dexter Cooper built for harnessing tidal energy.)
"Fog Regatta"12x18, pastel, en plein air
Detail:
