"View of Grand Traverse Bay" -- oil on masonite panel -- plein air study 11x14" -- Margie Guyot

I'd been very busy for the past few weeks, working on my garden and yard. So this is my first painting venture out into the landscape since the weather turned nice. My good friend Jerry and I went to a Nature Conservancy area that's in between Traverse City and Charlevoix, MI. It was a long walk through the deep woods to get out to the beach. As soon as I saw the bright sky and glistening waves, I knew what I wanted to paint. I loved the way the waves crashed into the shore. Loved that long, swooping, diagonal line.

I haven't really painted "surf" pictures before. So this was a bit of a challenge. Didn't know if I could do it, but I think it came off fairly believeable. I really loved the colors of the water. Farther out, the water looked a deep teal. Closer up, it was more of a viridian & white mix. And the ochre-toned bottom colors would show through along the shoreline.

This will be donated to the Crooked Tree Art Center in Petoskey. It will be in the D'Art for Art Annual Charity Event on July 17, 2008.

The distant hills are those of the Leelanau Peninsula, a beautiful place where much of the state's wineries and cherries are grown. The Grand Traverse Bay dips down out of Lake Michigan.