A Hole in Rodanthe

 

A Hole in Rodanthe   watercolor   29 x 20 

It was November...a short trip to the Outer Banks where we stayed in a little house to soak up the wildness that this part of the country offered to us.  It was so momentous to me as our youngest son met up with us there...many beach-combing hikes, many great meals, some entertaining card games.  And THE WIND...OH, THE WIND.  

The ocean had offered up twigs, branches, and many many conch shells, each showing the wear of the tides.  It was impossible not to feel amazingly primitive...so opposed to the sequestered lives we live daily.  

In this work, my challenge was to merge the figure with the seaside.  While working, I was able to relive the experience.

I am satisfied.

Ebb and Flow

Ebb and Flow   oil on canvas   12 x 36 x .75

Painting the incoming surf of the ocean is quite a challenge.  The still life is, well, still.  Models are still for short periods of time...with perhaps a twitch or two, or a relaxation of a limb or two, for the most part.  And, despite the movement of the sun and the interference of clouds, landscapes are generally given to status.  However, the ocean never rests.  Capturing this movement, to me, requires a study of the large rhythm involved, and as much understanding as possible, of an up-and-over movement....similar perhaps to the rise and fall of the folds of a quilt, but far less material.  I was inspired by the rowing paintings of Thomas Eakins, as well as an ocean work by my hero Alex Kanevsky.  This work was painted in a day.  Sure....I was tempted to have another pass, but knew full well that subsequent strokes would only solidify shapes, turning them into cement.  I have held off now for over two weeks and the obsession is now past.  Contemplation is good.

The ocean never sleeps.