Blog

The Boat Shack at Nick's Cove in Marshall, CA on Tomales Bay has long been a fascination of mine. It's such an iconic spot and has been my muse for many paintings.  What moves me about it so much?....the open door to maritime treasures inside, the crooked piers leading to the shack,  the turquoise roof, the golden shingles in the sun, Hog Island and the Point Reyes peninsula in the distance, the changing sky, the incoming fog, the Bay, the changing light reflecting on the water, the people eating oysters, the smell of the salt water, the steep stairs down to the platform, and the tides of course...oh the tides. I keep my book of the tide charts for Tomales Bay so I know when the perfect lighting coincides with the outgoing tides....when the world is revealed "Below the Brine."

On January 7, 2024, the boat shack succumbed to an unfortunate fire.  So sad and shocking.  What is a painter to do when his subject is gone?  I am hopeful that the proprietors of this iconic spot will rebuild in due time.  In the meantime, I will be back painting plein air in the sand amongst the kelp washed ashore from the last tide.  Because this scene is as much about those other elements that move me as it is about a small wood structure, and they are all still there waiting for me....but I do look forward to the day when the last nail is hammered, and the shack has rejoined the scene. 

For your viewing pleasure, I've moved all the Boat Shack paintings into their own collection on the Works page.  Enjoy.

Google Maps location:    https://maps.app.goo.gl/5h5s6uYLUoUJL6ty5