Maritime Forest
12×48″
Mixed media on cradled panel
©2012 Lucinda Howe

During a trip to Hunting Island a few months ago, I was fascinated by the way the maritime forest changed from dense forest to driftwood in a short distance from the lighthouse to the eroding beach.  For this studio painting, I combined two 12×24″ gessoed panels to create an exaggerated horizontal format to illustrate the progression along the path.

The technique was started as a black drawing using a combination of soluble and non-soluble drawing media (graphite, charcoal, black marker, watercolor pencils).  Matte medium was brushed on to soften the watercolor pencil and seal the drawing.  Transparent acrylic glazes added color for the top layer.   Finally, I applied a wooden cradle to the back of the panel, painted the edges black, and finished with two coats of acrylic varnish.