Waimea Estuary

It was a lovely early autumn afternoon today. I went out to Rabbit Island, and found a nice place to set up my easel. Almost any direction can be good as a subject, but my eye was caught by this little fisherman's shack tucked under some big trees. The tide was full and starting to run out as I began to paint.

No problem. There was plenty of water still by the time I had finished. My bigger challenge was the dappled shadows cast on my panel as the sun moved. They can play havoc with your sensitivity to nuances of tone and colour.

Of course one can always move the easel, but when caught in the white heat of composition it is easier to press on and take a chance. On this occasion I think I was lucky.



15067. "Waimea Estuary." Oil on panel. 8x10 in. $150

Any painting from this blog may be purchased by emailing me at

rosswhitlock@inspire.net.nz


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