Docked for the Day | 9×12 | Oil on Panel

Inspiration for Docked for the Day

On a cloudy afternoon out with my Wife, I began painting Docked for the Day en plein air. For artists, overcast days generally have the benefit of producing steady, almost-unchanging light to work under. However, on this occasion, the weather toyed with us the whole time! It went from overcast to sun to rain to overcast to sun again— fortunately, we managed to survive, and I finished the painting from my reference photos in the studio.

I generally feel a sense of either portent or melancholy on overcast days—not entirely sure why the feeling can vary so drastically! Maybe the threat of thunder, lightning, and hail, or tales of ships lost in storms at sea, bring the first. And of course, that “rainy day feeling”—heavy, moody clouds, rain droning against roof and windows—could be the second.