Plein air watercolor painting on the beach
With one child at college and another out mountain biking, it was just my husband and I on a beautiful Sunday. We both really had the kayaking bug and I wanted to try someplace new but not too far. We decided to get lunch in Wickford and paddle in Mill Cove. We had often launched our boat in Mill Cove but never explored the shallow, winding creek. Our plans led to a perfect day of sunshine and sea breeze on the bay.
We started our adventure at Gardner’s Wharf Seafood. We ate delicious fish and chips on a bench looking out over Wickford harbor. Whether you have the clam chowder or the lobster roll,. you can not go wrong here for fresh seafood.
The creek reminded me so much of the south – from the egrets perching in the trees to the blue herons flying across our bow.
After 2 hours of kayaking the creek, I found a beautiful spot to paint on Cornelius Island. On the quiet side away from the marinas, we waded in the cool water and rested on towels in the sun. After a short rest, I was super excited to paint this beautiful scene. The sea grass on the opposite shore was glowing in the afternoon sun and the beach was striped with cool shadows. I set to work painting while my husband went to explore the island. Today I brought my Arches rough 8×10″ block and my Winsor and Newton Artist travel palette. I used #6 and #10 DaVinci sable travel brushes with a small Nalgene water bottle.
The right of way to launch the kayaks is adjacent to the parking lot for Gardners Seafood. Once launched, you can move your car to the free public lot right next door. If you have any energy when your are done, downtown Wickford is a beautiful place to stroll and check out the shops. For local artisans wares, check out my favorite artist’s cooperative The Village Faire on Main Street (where my handmade anchor bag above is from).
