"Spruce Creek Tidal Marsh"
30" x "40
Plein air Oil on Canvas
Copyright by artist, Brenda Hofreiter
This was painted on location at Spruce Creek in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. There is a lovely boardwalk there that meanders through this strip of marsh leading to an observation tower down the trail. It was summer, and the intense Florida sun had sent me in search of the cooler breezes along the coast. A tidal marsh is quite a painting challenge! There is so much going on in the marsh, so many colors and textures to paint that change so dramatically with every season and in every lighting condition. Of course there are the spruce trees that this creek is named for as well. I thought I would tackle a large format painting and try and get everything I loved in it.
I love the way the creek seems to just disappear into the marsh. In a tidal marsh, you can just see the world breathing in and out as the water rises and falls. It gets caught into shallow little pools and creeks that are abandoned until the next high tide. The presence of water is reflected by the changing textures and colors of the foliage, as it meanders through the marsh. I loved the reflection of the clouds in the water, and the blue shift of the distant vista. It is hard to find wild places that seem to stretch out forever and this view seems to do just that!
