Naples Beach Vignette

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Another day in Paradise at Naples Beach, 82 degrees and sunny.  The beach is populated by vacationers and retirees, very few kids so it is quiet and restful.  The water looks calm, peaceful and warm, although to be honest, the last descriptor is only a guess for I have not placed as much as a toe in since coming here.  I am happy to sit on my towel, reading, drawing and people watching.  I had my watercolor set with me again this day.  I don't usually take them to the beach because I find the sand problematic and requires more cleaning of my brushes and pallette than I am used to.  Anyway, I spotted this neat cottage tucked in the palms near the edge of the beach.  I immediately saw it as an opportunity to create an interesting vignette.  The challenge as is often the case with tropical cottages is the orange roof against the blue sky.  It's difficult to make it not look like a Howard Johnson ad.  But I figured the greens, purples and light shape of the negative vignette would offset this problem and I'm happy with the result.  By the way, a couple from New York wrote to me and asked to purchase my earlier color sketch of the Naples Pier.  I told them that my sketches are not for sale and they agreed to commission me to paint an original watercolor from the sketch which I will complete when I get home in April.   What a country.  

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