Drip Castles

S and K   oil/canvas   30 x 40 x 1.5

Some beach scenes are archetypal...they are repeated time and time again and hold a sweet place in our memory banks.  This painting was done many many years after my son and dear friend patiently dripped oodles of sand ribbons into piles of magic.  I think that these castles require patience as well as deferred gratification as compared to those using molds.  The sand::water ratio must be just right.  I spent some sweet hours recently recreating a castle of my own.  As it dried, the sparkling grains stimulate a sense of wonder.  Further drying creates small holes almost uniformly throughout, adding to their mystique.

I think that many life lessons are inherent in their creation.  Cook yourself up a bit of magic...try one.

S and K

S and K   oil/canvas   30 x 40 x 1.5

Some images become iconic to me...those scenes that repeat themselves throughout one's life so much that they become embedded in our memory banks.  I am lucky to have so many beautiful ones.  The boys in the photo that inspired this work are now adults...both almost 30 and one to be married within the month.  The bodies have been replaced by other children but the same scene was repeated at this year's beach vacation...the castle builders now Jaidyn and Logan, children of our niece Katie.  In this case, the image becomes more than a singular painting...the work represents, to me, the impact of important familial traditions.  In my work to come, I hope to visit other such scenes/memories...they are the stuff of impact...that which makes my life worthwhile.

In the canvas, the figures were sketched in different positions than the reference photo provided.  I wanted the two figures to work as one in their singular endeavor.  The forms became pretzel-like, in a singular shape that includes the somewhat tangled arms and legs.  The figure on the right became slightly larger to create more interest.  The drip castle is indeed the tie that binds, but has become less consequential...a supporting prop.