Michael Chesley Johnson - Liberty Point Wave

Rocks can be overwhelming - especially when there are many of them! Sometimes you'll find a group of rocks with a built-in composition that works perfectly. But more than likely, you'll have to search for a pleasing design. Quite often, the solution lies in finding a point of interest, zooming in so it fills the frame, and then zooming out just a bit to include a few other elements for a successful design. I try to use the fewest elements I can.

Where I live, along the bold coast of the Canadian Maritimes, we have many tumble-down cliffs, ragged points and nameless rock outcrops. The other day I went out with my pastels to paint Liberty Point, a massive rock just off the southeastern tip of Campobello Island. First, here's a photograph of Liberty Point so you can see the complexity:



But rather than try to capture the entire rock in all its glory and fail, I decided to take a small view and succeed. I chose a couple of rocks down near the water line with a wave breaking gently over the wrackweed. It's an intimate close-up.



"Liberty Point Wave" - Michael Chesley Johnson, PSA, MPAC, PSNM
5x7, pastel, en plein air

www.MichaelChesleyJohnson.com