11 x 14
Plein Air
Oil on Linen Board
Painted on location at Point Comfort, Colerain, NC
A few weeks ago, Fred Saunders took me to Point Comfort to paint the cliffs that majestically tower over the Chowan River on the Bertie County side just south of Colerain. These huge sand mounds host a number of prehistoric marine artifacts / fossil remains such as ancient conch shells, shark teeth, and even corral as this area was once at the bottom of a mass ocean. Recently, just south of here, my cousin, Jeb Ivey, found a megalodon tooth near the mouth of Salmon Creek.
When my kids were younger, we used to pile in the boat and head over to these cliffs to climb and find shells and teeth. As hard as they are to climb, they are to paint, and I thank Fred, for once again choosing a challenging subject out of my comfort zone. The first attempt, was a failed painting, mainly because I made my edges too sharp on areas that I wanted to appear far away but unfortunately looked closer than I wanted. I gained so much from these mistakes though, and last weekend the both of us headed out there again - this time choosing a similar scene. It was a cool sunny day with a brisk Northeast wind blowing all of the mosquitoes and gnats away making if very comfortable in my uncomfortable zone.
Artist Fred Saunders painting at Point Comfort on his 86th birthday
