Avalon (Beach view with figures and parasols)

This watercolor appears to be a quick study or sketching exercise done at the beach in Avalon, New Jersey. While not typical of Pittman's subject matter, he did paint a handful of other scenes of the same setting. Pittman's quick graphite sketch of a calm beach scene has been painted over with a simple watercolor wash, the sky a fairly uniform expanse of beige-gray, the narrow strip of ocean a dark steel gray. Pittman judiciously emphasized the parasols and figures (including a lifeguard in his tower) with dashes and dabs of bright colors. The fact that Pittman labeled parts of the landscape ('water,' 'sand,' 'light sand,' [?]) may indicate that this sketch was a study for another work, although such a work is unknown. While simple and sketchy, the work has a freshness and immediacy that give it considerable charm, as well as an atmospheric, contemplative quality.