Intertidal

Intertidal comes from a visit to Winslow Park in South Freeport, Maine. There is a small pier and boat ramp there and on the day I visited the sun was going down and the tide was going out. I took several photos and did some composition and value sketches. Behind me, to the north, lay a small sandy beach but on this side of the pier, looking south, the receding water exposed a rock-strewn intertidal zone, including clay flats and a brilliant meadow of yellow-green marine grass lit up by the afternoon sun. This meadow would be largely submerged at high tide. 

I liked the large pile of rocks in the foreground and the vista of shore curving around to a small shack with float and moored boat. I decided to put a dog walker in the foreground for perspective. It is not improbable that a visitor would venture out onto the flats to explore at low tide. The area is teeming with life. Bubbles signal submerged clams and worms. Sea birds love to hunt the zone at low tide. Baby crabs hide under rocks and in the roots of grasses.

Eelgrass and other marine grass meadows are at the base of the marine food chain. They provide habitat and food to invertebrates, fish and sea birds. Eelgrass in particular shelters adolescent marine life like lobsters, shrimp and some fish from predators. Sadly, however, eelgrass has been on the decline recently in Casco Bay, and notably in this area of South Freeport. The Portland Press Herald reported last year that eelgrass cover in Casco Bay had diminished from 5,012 acres in 2018 to 2,286 acres in 2022. That's 54 percent. Contributing factors include warming waters induced by climate change and the proliferation of invasive blue crabs that dig up and destroy eel grass roots in their search for prey.

This painting measures 11 inches by 17 inches, and is framed to 16 x 22 inches. It was done on Baohong Rough watercolor paper and has been set in an off-white mat. The ash frame is stained light gray and the whole package is protected under museum-quality 3mm Optium anti-UV, anti-reflective acrylic glazing.