A Coastal Dune Lake Story - Western Lake

This week in "The Coastal Dune Lake Collection Stories" I'm featuring the most famous coastal dune lake in Walton County, Western Lake.  

Locals know it, tourists know it and painters paint it. This was surely going to be the easiest coastal dune lake to paint since I’d already painted it a number of times. The famous shot of Western Lake is from 30a, looking out over the lake to the famous tree stand. I wanted to see it differently.

In January 2020 I visited Western Lake via Grayton Beach State Park and walked the mile long nature trail through the sand dunes, pine flatwood and scrub oak along Western Lake. I was actually standing under the famous trees and able to look up at them! It was a cold Florida day.  The sun was shining overhead and ultimately made some great shadows a little later in the walk.  The way the shadows of the plants formed in the sand and walking path ended up being my main inspiration.

I painted 2 paintings from that day. This 12" x 12", oil on panel will be offered framed in the upcoming collection launch on August 12th for $550. The other is available as a print through Ballard Designs Catalog.

Click here to see all the coastal dune lake stories.