Thursday, August 05, 2021

st mary's by the sea

                             9x14

The perpetual painting subject at Cape May Point. It's irresistible--the distinctive red roofline, the crosses againt the sky--but confounding somehow. I must've painted  it a dozen times over the years... it never comes out quite right.
This one is overworked--except for the foreground, which I painted early on then didn't fiddle with because I was happy with it!
Maybe I should pray.
I console myself with remembering that Charles Reid, when he taught a workshop here, seemed to struggle with his St Mary's painting. (And with the local monstrosity known as the Physick Estate: I refuse to even contemplate painting it ... In Reid's class I turned around and painted what was across the street.)
 I was able to get this photo of the inner courtyard--the building is U-shaped, the open side facing the bay--because it's currently unoccupied. The order of nuns who own it want to return this prime waterfront land to nature. I hope their wishes will be honored.

3 comments:

RH Carpenter said...

You really captured it in the first go round with the foreground beautifully done and just the red roof. Perhaps the doors/windows along the walkways need to be darkened a bit? Not sure. I wouldn’t have tackled this one so brava you!!

laura said...

Thank you, Rhonda. I will definitely try this one again--and endeavor to keep it all as fresh as the foreground!

Candy said...

Laura, I don't think it's overworked and I love the foreground. Maybe set it aside and come back to it with fresh eyes.

It made me smile when you said you turned around in Reid's class and painted across the street rather than paint Physick Estate:)

Hooray for the nuns! That's a fabulous idea.