A Beautiful Drive

SHORE ROAD is a short but beautiful ride along the Atlantic Coast in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. A drive along its curvy asphalt reveals breathtaking ocean views, wooded trailheads, idyllic sea glass hunting coves, farms (yes, farms!), ice cream shops, and Portland Head Light, Maine’s oldest and most photographed lighthouse. And when you’re not sucked in looking at what’s on either side of the road, one can simply enjoy the road ahead and wonder what surprises are around the next curve.

This is actually a preliminary painting that I wanted to do prior to tackling a much larger version, probably 20×30″. I opted to exclude things like the sidewalk and telephone poles, which while they don’t dominate the landscape, would have made the composition too cramped. I also didn’t want to distract from the focal point, which is the sunlit curve and surrounding trees. I think the larger version will incorporate more detail in terms of foliage along the roadway, but otherwise it should look very similar.

I also wanted there to be a very high value contrast using the sunlight that’s getting through the trees. I’ve come to learn that I don’t push the darks as much as they should be on the first go, but lately it’s come more naturally and I haven’t had to think about it so much… it’s just the way I paint now. SHORE ROAD also delves into an updated palette I’ve been using for landscapes, most notably working on fewer saturated hues, and more loose brush strokes.

Stay tuned for the larger version later this winter!

#austinart #artbern #berntx #crashboomzip #abplanalp #austinartists #atxart #atxartist #atxlife #paintings #maine #capeelizabeth #atlantic ​#portlandheadlight #landscapes #ocean #shoreroad