Red Earth and Rocks near the water

Prince Edward Island, abbreviated PE, is a small province completely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. As such, the shore line is subject to severe storms and rising sea levels. All around there was evidence of active erosion, for example at this lookout point between North Rustico and Cavendish. Near the top of the cliffs there is grass overhanging, with the occasional tree leaning inwards, with roots sticking out all over. Midway down, there are ramps of red earth covered in rocks of all sizes, with more rough debris at the shore line. Getting the red-orange correct was very tricky and I spent a good part of the trip trying to figure out the best way to do it. Here I used red ochre (PBr7/PR101), with dark red (PR179) and orange (PO62, PO73) for shadows, with a touch of black (PBk6).

Crumbling shore line, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, August  2024

The colour I needed for the job was Caput Mortuum (PBr7) which is a low chroma, dark red, almost purplish brown colour, however, I left the tube at home not knowing that it would come in handy. Thinking about MacEvoy's colour wheel, I came up with the next best thing, a mix of red ochre (PBr7/PR101) with a purple mix (PB60 and PV55), and a touch of yellow ochre (PY43). By varying the proportions of those four paints I could create a range of realistic highlights and shadows as you see in the potato-shaped rocks at the end of the fishing wharf in North Rustico. Black (PBk7) finished the effect by creating dark shadows.

Potato rocks, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, August  2024

 

The red earth was everywhere along the shore line. Here, we were sitting in the shadow of the cliff to cool down, with a view of the beach and sandbar. The sand was a pinkish, almost flesh tone, although closer to the colour of a cardboard box. I was surprised by the range of colours in the sea, it was dark blue and turquoise on the horizon, but turned to a greenish, golden colour close to shore due to extensive sandbars. I didn't quite get the full effect here, but captured it in subsequent paintings.

Red rocks in shadow, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, August  2024