“Nearing Storm” study

On a recent early morning walk along one of the Sound-side beaches of Cape Cod, a bank of clouds forming further up Cape, maybe over Buzzards Bay, sat on the horizon as a dark strip of grayish purple. But as the morning progressed, and the breezes pickup up, the sky darkened as the cloud bank expanded northward over Falmouth and Hyannis towards Yarmouth and Dennis.

That unique combination soft early morning light and shadow, with a backdrop of storm-cloud-darkened skies, is especially dramatic on the Cape, with its sea-level landscape and cottages hidden within dunes and seagrass. This pastel study, “Nearing Storm” was done in preparation for a larger oil on canvas.