Framed oil painting

14 x 16 (image size) oil on board

On one of our many trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I chased these three little Sandpipers up and down the beach trying to photograph them.  This particular scene cracked me up because even though they are small in stature they look like tough-guys who didn’t want me on their turf (sand)!

I chose to keep the painting realistic in appearance, with the birds being the central focus and the water and beach secondary.  I had fun painting sand up close for the first time.  The birds are well lit from the afternoon sun, each bird casting a dark shadow on the smooth, still dry surface.  Their radar always seems to let them know exactly where the waves will end and when it’s time to move on down the beach.

Scampering quickly down the beach to the next cool hangout is really what this painting is about.  It’s about the moment and the spontaneity that being at the beach offers.

This painting was painted for some very good friends who have a wonderful cottage in Duck named Time Out of Mind.  It’s a perfect place to hangout, do a little bird watching, and live for the moment like the Beach Boys!