Sapelo Island Beacon by Brenda Hofreiter

This painting was completed on location at Sapelo Island, GA during my recent Artist's Residency there. It is the companion piece for the Lighthouse which is located directly in front of the beacon on the South end of the Island. It was originally constructed in 1819 and called the Wolf Island Beacon. It was a range-finder and worked in tandem with the Sapelo Island Lighthouse as an aide to mariners in navigating the tricky shoals and sand bars at the entrance to Doboy Sound.

I had to work on this painting for several short sessions. I would travel to the lighthouse in the late afternoon and work on that painting until the light changed and then swing my truck around to paint this beacon in the last rays of the setting sun. The marsh would light up with wild colors in the golden light and the beacon took on another world quality. The full moon rose over the marsh echoing the porthole of the beacon and I couldn't resist putting it into the painting. I would paint until the light failed, trying to capture the complicated structure and interesting light. Even in November, once the sun started to set the mosquitoes and black flies would come out in force and I would have to beat a hasty retreat. I am sure some of their remains are stuck in the wet paint!!