Beach painting is so much fun but it is still work, as all painting is. Just because artists may enjoy their work does not make it effortless, quite the opposite. Artists are focused and zoned in when they create. Every stroke takes thought, every nuance of color is a deliberate choice. Artists choose which brush, how thin or thick the paint should be, what value should the color be and so much more. Artists have to solve a multitude of visual puzzles for each painting and make endless decisions on how to portray their subject.

Another thing, having a "natural talent" does not make an artist! It takes years and years of learning, practicing, thinking, scheming and more to create artWORK. That must be why it is called that! Just like playing a tune on the piano can be done in a few minutes and can seem effortless, it takes a lifetime of practice and learning to do it and even more to become good.

Back to beaches! It can be difficult painting a beach because of the simplicity of the view. After all it is just blue sky, blue water and yellow/white sand, all separated by straight horizontal lines. Artists have to figure out, problem solve and WORK at making a beach scene into something interesting. Here's one of my plein air (painted on location) paintings done at Lover's Key State Park, Ft. Myers, FL. What do you think is the actual subject?

"Lines in the Sand" Oil 11" x 14"