"Sapelo Island Lighthouse" by Brenda Hofreiter

This painting was completed "en plein air" on location at Sapelo Island, GA during my recent Artist's Residency there. I fell in love with Sapelo during the two weeks of my residency and I completed 12 paintings of the island during my stay. One of them is on display at the office of the Department of Natural Resources there on Sapelo and was presented to them at the end of my Residency for their collection.

This painting is of the restored lighthouse on the South end of the Island and guards the entrance to Doboy Sound. The lighthouse was painted with its unique red and white striped pattern in 1869 to distinguish it from other area lighthouses. You can read all about it's long history as well as the history of Darien and Sapelo Island in a book entitled "Sapelo: A History" written by Buddy Sullivan. ISBN: 0-9620815-0-7. I know that, because he signed one and gave it to me at the end of the residency. I treasure it for it's insiders look into the people and places of Sapelo and all the wonderful old photographs.

This painting was created in the late afternoon while the shadows were long along the ground. You can still see the keeper's cistern next to the lighthouse. It took several visits to complete the painting and its companion, the Beacon which I will also post. The light changes rapidly in the late afternoon of November and I only had about an hour or so before the light changed completely. Painting on this end of the island was a joy, and I created many of the paintings at Sapelo here along the tidal creeks.