By the water's edge.  Tlhe idea for this painting came from an experiment in throwing and splattering paint.  I took about 10 canvases outside on the grass on a hot sunny day (so they could dry quicker).  I started to toss and drip paint, but I was not happy with the results so I started brushing too.  My colors were muddy and ugly and I was not happy with the results again.  However, a surprise happened.  The peony plant nearby cast a shadow of leaves on one of the canvases,  and I ran and got my camera. The shadow on the canvas looked like leaves painted on the canvas and it looked like a forground to the painting.  I thought the shadow was so cool that I started putting the other canvases underneath  it and started photographing those too.  One particular painting worked well with the shadow which I thought would make a good forground tree, and the background would make a good sky.  But, as I looked at it harder I noticed that if I turned it upside down the background was not a sky but murky water.  And by the "Water's Edge" was born.

This painting was a donation to the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center annual Bake Near the Lake.  It will be auctioned on Sep. 6th to help raise money for the center. This lighthouse is Old Orchard Shoal and was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy off  the coast of New York.  I wanted to paint it to help preserve its memory.  The design for this painting is generated from earlier lighthouses that I have painted such as the one I have included below of Marblehead.  I wanted to add some interest to the sky and water as opposed to a flat colors as in the previous ones. I was not sure how the designs would integrate with the lighthouse so I gave it a shot and I was fairly happy with the results.