How to Find the Best Sunset Spot.....A Plein Air Story

'The Moment of Truth'            18x24           pastel       ©Karen Margulis

It was meant to be.  We were meant to witness this sunset. ... one of the most spectacular sunsets I had ever seen.  But  how it came to be is a story that we will always remember.  It was Wednesday evening. The night before the Stan Sperlak workshop. We were in town early and met with Sharon, the 4th member of the Georgia contingent.  We wanted to have an early dinner and catch the sunset somewhere. That was the extent of our plan.

We decided on seafood since we were surrounded by the Atlantic ocean and Delaware Bay. We should be able to get some good seafood. So I looked up nearby seafood restaurants on Tripadvisor and we decided to go with the number one rated place. It was supposed to be a local place with great seafood.

The seafood restaurant/bait shop

 But we didn't know it was also a Bait and Tackle Store until we got there.  Hmmmm a restaurant in a bait shop?  This was going to be interesting.  We decided to eat out in the backyard where there were a few tables. There was even a koi pond for ambiance.  The fishy smell was quite strong but the slight breeze made it bearable.  We even decided to try the local New Jersey wine. (that the man behind the counter said was just OK...but it was all they had)  It was just OK especially if you are a fan of listerine.

Gourmet dinner Bait Shop Style

Our food wasn't memorable but the experience definitely was.  Our evening wasn't over yet. It was getting close to sunset time (just google sunset and your location and you will get the time) So we asked  the bait man if he knew of a place to see the sunset.  He gave us directions to a spot. So we finished, got in the car (whom we have named Viv for Vanishing Image Vehicle. We are the VIPs or Vanishing Image Painters)  We drove down a long road and it was quickly getting dark. We must have missed the sunset.

Just then we caught a glimpse of orange through the trees.....OOOOOOOHHHHHH we all said in unison. We pulled up to the beach, jumped out of Viv with cameras in hand.  The sun had set.... but the sky was simply spectacular. There was this dark purple cloud above and the most brilliant orange and yellow below it. It kept getting more and more colorful until it turned a fiery magenta that surely must be in Terry Ludwig's Vibrant pastel collection.  It was awesome. We stayed taking pictures until the last bit of color was gone.

And to think that if we had not eaten at the bait shop we wouldn't have gotten the tip for this very private beach and the most spectacular sunset ever.  It was meant to be.

photo of the sunset doesn't do it justice

About the painting:  I painted this sunset in my dream one night during the workshop. I knew I had to get it on paper as soon as I got home. I took out the biggest paper I had 18x24, put on some music and painted it in about an hour. It is not a copy of the photo but it does show how I felt about witnessing this sunset.