Sunset Over Palmetto Marsh ~ Big Sky and Bold Colors!
Night after night this August, we’ve enjoyed dramatic sunsets here in the Lowcountry. Big skies with unusually spectacular cloud formations became aglow from colorful rays of sunlight cast by the setting sun. At the same time, the marsh grasses have started to change colors, and the strong greens are becoming mixed with warmer tones. My painting Sunset Over Palmetto Marsh was inspired by the light, the colors, and the tranquility of nature’s splendor.
Sunset Over Palmetto Marsh by William R. Beebe, 30 x 40, Oil on Linen, $4800
Inspiration is sometimes hard to find. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to paint next. As the evening light faded each night, we’d comment on the “big sky” and the beautiful colors. It dawned on me that big skies need a big canvas to do them justice, and I had just such a canvas waiting for me in my studio.
A big sky over an expansive Lowcountry marsh would become my next painting! This particular marsh, that I call Palmetto Marsh, not only has the prerequisite winding waterway, but palmetto trees in the foreground, a distant row of pine trees identifying dry land, and violet woods along the horizon-line creating a desired sense of depth in the painting.
As the sun sets behind the violet woodlands, its rays shoot up to the sky, through the pines, and across the water. The shadows cast by the pines and the highlights that touch the tops of the lower band of clouds draw you into the painting.
A rule of thumb for planting trees and shrubs is that odd numbers are better than even. I love that nature planted the 3 small palmetto trees together and set the singleton off to the side.
The palmetto trees are aglow for now, but within minutes they will disappear into the darkness. Colors really pop with that last burst of warm sunlight. I enjoyed working with bold colors and working on developing color harmony in this painting.
I’m thankful for the inspiration behind this painting and appreciative of the experiences that led up to painting it. I hope you like Sunset Over Palmetto Marsh and that your days are blessed with beautiful sunsets!
I have another large canvas waiting for me, so I better get back to work! :)
“One of the joys of being an artist is having the freedom to follow my passion….”
What’s next?
Drawing by William R. Beebe