Dead Calm in Casco Bay | 9 x 12” | Graphite on Paper
The Casco Bay of Portland, Maine has an iconic harbor look, pretty much just what you’d want to see when strolling the Eastern Promenade on a cool summer day. Yes, I said cool summer day… they do exist.
This piece is a plein air drawing from the rocky shores of Casco Bay, bathed in sunshine and 75 degrees. I finished the shading and finer details in studio, but capturing the moment on site was a lot of fun. It’s as if the boats were posing for their profiles. Most of the practice sketches I’d done the previous week were a real plein air smack down because the slight breezes on those days kept rotating the boats. It did teach me a lesson in drawing quickly, though.
The lighthouse is a bit of artistic license, in that it’s not part of the actual scene. However there are numerous lighthouses in the area, all of which create a dream backdrop for these nautical seascapes. If I choose to create a painting of this scene, I’ll struggle to de-emphasize the lighthouse because I love their look!
Art Bern 