Raven’s Nest—Oil on Canvas—16 x 20
Some paintings need time to grow alongside of the artist, and this was one of those pieces. It took almost three years and four visits to the location to get it right. My first visit to Raven’s Nest happened shortly after I started painting Maine landscapes, following seven years of mainly painting portraits. The way the afternoon light filtered through the trees and illuminated the cliffs moved me deeply. It felt like a dream as I walked down the trail of dappled light toward the end. Although it was a sunny day with only a light breeze, the waves roared down below—rolling in fast. The next morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and wondered if I could create a scene from a slightly different angle in order to capture the awe of the cliffs. It was just an experiment at first, a quick sketch of cliff angles on canvas. However, over the following months, it kept calling to me from my studio wall, urging me to revisit that moment. Months turned into years as I realized that while I knew how to paint trees and rocks, I wasn’t capturing the essence and character of those specific trees and rocks. Eventually, with experience gained from other paintings, I was able to revisit this one and capture the soul of this beloved piece of the Maine coastline.
Some paintings need time to grow alongside of the artist, and this was one of those pieces. It took almost three years and four visits to the location to get it right. My first visit to Raven’s Nest happened shortly after I started painting Maine landscapes, following seven years of mainly painting portraits. The way the afternoon light filtered through the trees and illuminated the cliffs moved me deeply. It felt like a dream as I walked down the trail of dappled light toward the end. Although it was a sunny day with only a light breeze, the waves roared down below—rolling in fast. The next morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and wondered if I could create a scene from a slightly different angle in order to capture the awe of the cliffs. It was just an experiment at first, a quick sketch of cliff angles on canvas. However, over the following months, it kept calling to me from my studio wall, urging me to revisit that moment. Months turned into years as I realized that while I knew how to paint trees and rocks, I wasn’t capturing the essence and character of those specific trees and rocks. Eventually, with experience gained from other paintings, I was able to revisit this one and capture the soul of this beloved piece of the Maine coastline.
Some paintings need time to grow alongside of the artist, and this was one of those pieces. It took almost three years and four visits to the location to get it right. My first visit to Raven’s Nest happened shortly after I started painting Maine landscapes, following seven years of mainly painting portraits. The way the afternoon light filtered through the trees and illuminated the cliffs moved me deeply. It felt like a dream as I walked down the trail of dappled light toward the end. Although it was a sunny day with only a light breeze, the waves roared down below—rolling in fast. The next morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and wondered if I could create a scene from a slightly different angle in order to capture the awe of the cliffs. It was just an experiment at first, a quick sketch of cliff angles on canvas. However, over the following months, it kept calling to me from my studio wall, urging me to revisit that moment. Months turned into years as I realized that while I knew how to paint trees and rocks, I wasn’t capturing the essence and character of those specific trees and rocks. Eventually, with experience gained from other paintings, I was able to revisit this one and capture the soul of this beloved piece of the Maine coastline.
