A BREATH OF SALT AIR 

  Can you find the tiny spot of water centrally located between the two skyscrapers?  That’s New York Cities’ East River. It’s mesmerizing to think that all those skyscrapers were made by man.  It is astounding to even begin to absorb that idea. Here, overwhelmed...

Waterfront Homes I just love how some waterfront houses are nestled into the land.  Questions of whether or not they are stable and secure in this era of violent storms and floods adds to their enchantment. The homes defy their state of vulnerability with a...

The change of season as if on cue after Labor Day startled me. Right away, I felt loss that somehow the summer got away.  As soon as I realized how futile a thought that was and how it didn’t serve me one bit, I shifted to appreciating what is here.  And it is...

Salt Marsh in Full Color Some days the seaside has this wonderful soft but clear blue quality. Pristine. Everything sparkles but the balmy air renders everything slightly hazy around the edges.  I love the colors at this time.  The greens are bright and vivid but...

Salt Marsh It seems that places by the sea are more changeable than anywhere else.  Always in transition, the mysterious salt marsh waters fill and fall with the tide.  All this activity is orchestrated by the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun and the...

The Familiar Sea Land shapes jutting out into the sea can look so similar sometimes you can’t quite be sure of where you are. The Hamptons, Nantucket, Cape Cod, Chesapeake Bay can all feel so similar. Maybe you have been here before, or maybe it just reminds you of...

Light Flash on Dark Sea When the sun sets and the light fades away darkness builds. It doesn’t happen instantly but advances deliberately toward black. But is it really black? As an artist, I try to read/see the color wherever I can. What color is the sea if you...

Getting Down to the Ocean Living right by the bay I am exceptionally aware of the water each day.  But there is nothing like a trip down to the ocean. Go, if you possibly can.  Take the time out from your busy schedule to "just be" for a moment. I went down to the...

Why is water blue? I was looking out on the water the other day and could not believe how blue it was.  I’m still stunned that the color is so intense, so truly blue.  Compared to the sea the sky is pale, maybe half as vivid.  I’m wondering once again, what makes them...

How do I choose the colors I use in my paintings? It is the color that first inspires me and magnetizes me to the scene. I'm always on the lookout for something gorgeous. Colors in nature are astounding. I cannot even believe that a color in a tube of paint can match...

Flowers by the Sea One of the ultimate luxuries is to have a flower garden by the sea.  My friend Sara has a dazzling example. When I first saw the colorful profusion of blooms set against tranquil blue water under an open sky I was astounded.  I knew I had to paint...

Why paint a dune? Stepping along the wooden walkway over the beach pines that grow right out of sand and knowing that I am heading toward the ocean is exhilarating. Even if  I am lugging 20 lbs of painting equipment. At the aptly named Dune Beach in Southampton, one...

I use a lot of lavender paint, a pale tint of violet that can slant toward blue.  The color is sometimes a light pinkish violet and can include a vast range of vibrant purples to blue tinged muted grays. I adore all the many flowers that come in shades of lavender....

It is shocking how rapidly the temper of open water can change. Early this morning the entire bay was a glassy cerulean blue punctuated with soft aqua green strokes. Only a couple of hours later and the winds have radically changed direction. A dark teal, ultramarine...

I’m out here on another adventure in plein air (outdoor) painting at Scallop Pond in Southampton.  Here is a broad expanse of magnificent salt water marshland that is property conserved by the Peconic Land Trust.  Far enough removed from the sounds of cars and trucks,...