Land of the Long White Cloud

This was painted near the town of Mount Maunganui, North Island, New Zealand.
I painted both sides of this bay. I sat on the grass just beyond the sand and watched the sky change by the minute from cloudy, rainy to long violet tinged clouds. I called this painting "Aotearoa" which literally means in maori "land of the Long White Cloud". The first indication to the canoe voyagers of the presence of the islands was the cloud lying above them. It was difficult for me to focus on anything but the natural environment when I was in New Zealand, as it was so spectacular. This was an example of one of many sheltered beautiful beaches. While we were painting, suntanned people with their surfboards bobbed up and down in the waves.