Framed Oil Painting

12 x 18, (image size), oil on board

Sanderling Strut ~ Light and movement add energy!

Wet sand, a blue sky, and a bright afternoon sun, all helped create very strong reflections of the little, white Sanderlings as they chased the surf.  

I chose to paint the Sanderlings in a realistic but simple style.  I decided to go with the flow and carry the style over into the water and throughout the painting.  

Streaks of color indicate movement and reflected light.  I kept the painting smooth to help create a glassy surface, but some layering of color was done, using a palette knife, to develop the reflections.  

The birds are in focus and depicted strutting their stuff, while the fractured reflections help capture the energy of the scene.  

Having a darker background helps make the sunlit birds pop.  Their dark shadows and white reflections also add contrast to the composition.  

Besides the light, the movement, the colors, the formation of the Sanderlings appealed to me.  The lone one on the right is contemplating a different path, ready to veer off back to the water.  Is he the leader?  Will the others follow?  Or will he realize he’s alone and rejoin the others?