I decided to try and paint one more landscape before the weather changed. I packed up my paints and gear in my large REI backpack, put on my warm layers and hiked down the stairs to the beach. The tide was low but the sand was all soaking wet and cold. I headed out hoping for that trigger to make me sit and spend a few hours of my life painting. Today I found my eyes wandering less to the view of the beautiful cliffs and ocean waves, but to the group of gulls playing on these rocks near the waters edge. So I plopped myself down in my thermarest chair, and pulled out my sketchbook. The gulls were all grouped together at the waters edge, about 30 of them or so, looking out to sea. A few gulls were closer to me on boulders next to a mossy log that was half buried in the wet sand.
So I sketched these wonderful gulls playing in the water, staring out to sea, realizing that they were taking turns walking up the beach to a freshwater spring that was running off the hillside. Two by two, they would walk up to the spring, drink some water, and walk down with the rest of the flock.
After completing some rough sketches of the gulls, my drawing came to a hault, when two youg girls came running by and decided to chase them away from the very spot I was about to paint them. However due to my sketches and positioning of the gulls, I was able to finish my painting with no worries. And here is my watercolor of the gulls at the beach.
Gulls at the Beach. 8 1/2 " x 11". Watercolor.
Gulls at the Beach. 8 1/2 " x 11". Watercolor.
