Capt Jack | 9×12 | Oil on Linen Panel

Inspiration for Capt Jack

Capt Jack immediately jumped out at me when I arrived in Tarpon Springs due to the boat’s vibrant red hull. I don’t usually paint boats fully “in profile” this way, but I liked the hue of the hull so much that I wanted it to dominate this composition. The color is wonderfully juxtaposed against the cooler blue hues of the sky and water. And that red also compliments the green tones of the verdure and shrimp nets perfectly. And how about the vibrancy in those shadows?! I enjoy capturing vibrant shadows on bright, sunny days; the colors are especially noticeable when the shadow falls upon white or nearly white objects. Beautiful!

Beating the Heat

While I was visiting central Florida, most days were rife with the state’s typical summer afternoon thunderstorms. However, during my first excursion, mostly-sunny skies pleasantly surprised me…unfortunately, this also resulted in torrid heat! So I strategically maneuvered my Soltek plein air easel into the shade of Tarpon’s public landscaping (an unintended fringe benefit of beautification projects), and worked in relative comfort for several pleasant hours.