art meets nature at sandy neck beach

The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. I have heard them all, and of the three elemental voices, that of ocean is the most awesome, beautiful and varied.

 Henry Beston, The Outermost House

​Seven adults piled into the pine green pickup, politely jockeying for seats in the truck bed like we were 16 again. Some of us packed light - a DSLR camera, snacks, and water - and others, much less so - oil painting supplies, an easel, turpentine. We were all strangers, but we were all on the same mission - capturing the strange, elemental beauty of Sandy Neck.

Sandy Neck is a 7-mile barrier beach in Barnstable, Massachusetts, jutting out into Cape Cod Bay. It's like stepping into another world. Thousands of acres of dunes, marshes, and forest are accessible by off-road vehicles (or some adventurous hiking), with campsites, RVs on the sand, a lighthouse, and a seasonal cottage colony. 
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The Cape Cod Art Association sponsors the Art Meets Nature program at the Halfway House, a wobbly old building three miles down the beach and nestled in the dunes. (The house was built before 1872 (!), and is on the National Registry of Historic Places.) A ranger met us at the park entrance, packed us and our supplies into his work truck, and dropped us at the shack for our half day of exploring, photographing, and painting. 

Halfway House, Sandy Neck, Barnstable.

​It was disorienting being so close to home yet feeling so far away. I looked south to see the Cape Cod beaches I visit so frequently, sailboats dotting the shoreline and swaying in the shallow water. I picked out my path to the water on a laminated map in the shack, slung my paint supplies over my shoulder, and set off on a solo trek with my watercolors

I walked until I hit the head of the trail. I found a good vantage point with different vegetation, colors, and enough space to plop down on my beach blanket and break out my palette. ​

I was quickly reminded of all the plein air painting 'hazards'. Immediately upon finishing my first painting, I was run over by two (friendly) terriers wandering the trails with their owner. I imagine they didn't expect to see anyone painting on a blanket in the middle of nowhere, so I could only get so annoyed at the sand in my paint. I took it as sign to change locations anyway, and climbed to the highest point I could. 

I stayed at the top of the dune until the sun began to set, making small talk with campers staying in their RVs, and with Cape Codders who hike Sandy Neck every weekend. I finished my second watercolor with a silly-big smile on my face and trekked back to the Halfway House. 

We shared our work while waiting for the pickup to return. (Note... bring lots of bug spray!) Although we had vastly different levels of experience - some were full-time, gallery-owning artists; others were recreational photographers or new to their medium - we all shared a deep appreciation for Cape Cod's natural beauty.

I have prints of both paintings available on Saltwater Palette, just in time for the holidays. :)