I made a color sketch of the scene last fall and didn’t get around to the larger painting ’til just now. The marsh in Essex looks very flat green in the summer. I was attracted to the blue-green-gray tint that the tall grass takes on, showing the high water line. And when the weather turns colder, the grasses change to different colors and at different rates, breaking the plane up into pieces.
It’s great how a deadline can kick you in the ass. I needed something to go in Show #5 at North Shore Arts Association, so I painted in overdrive last week (and even yesterday, the day I dropped it off). So, this really is a fresh one. I just hope it doesn't stick to the frame. Mmmm, there’s nothing like the smell of drying linseed oil in the morning.
