Atlantic Thunder
The thundering crash of waves is captured in pastels by Ellen Rice
16" x 20" pastel (Private Collection)
and s/n offset lithographs
by Ellen Rice
Atlantic Thunder
by Ellen Rice
I love swimming in the ocean, especially the first dip of the summer. Memories flood in while gazing at Atlantic Thunder ~ the feeling of wet sand squishing between your toes, the warm sun on your back, the tickle of sand crabs wriggling under your feet, the icy dread of that first plunge as you time the wave swells ... almost dive ... chicken out, then finally hop, skip, jump and dive!
I love to feel the water rushing past my hands, whooshing over my body, buoying me up, breakers just barely crashing over my ankles, ahhhhh ~ spiced with a touch of pure fear inspired by diving into the dark water unknown with the very real desire not to bump into any large moving objects with big fins or maybe worse, a jellyfish! It's great!
I didn't always enjoy the ocean so much. I've lived on the East Coast near the ocean most of my life. When I was young, the sound of the surf terrified me, much to my award-winning swimmer and diver mother's chagrin.
It took many visits to the ocean with the loving arms of my grandfather wrapped around me to coax me into the ocean. Later, like most children, once the fear was conquered, no one could hold me back.
Now, living on a piece of land that juts into Indian River Bay, Delaware, less than a mile from the ocean as the crow flies, the sound of the surf on nights when the wind is right lulls me to sleep.
The sea has drawn people from time immemorial. Staring across its expanse, it is a vast, wonderful reminder that we are not in charge. Its unchanging changeableness inspires poets to rhyme, has inspires artists to paint and stills the restless mind.
~ Ellen
I love to feel the water rushing past my hands, whooshing over my body, buoying me up, breakers just barely crashing over my ankles, ahhhhh ~ spiced with a touch of pure fear inspired by diving into the dark water unknown with the very real desire not to bump into any large moving objects with big fins or maybe worse, a jellyfish! It's great!
I didn't always enjoy the ocean so much. I've lived on the East Coast near the ocean most of my life. When I was young, the sound of the surf terrified me, much to my award-winning swimmer and diver mother's chagrin.
It took many visits to the ocean with the loving arms of my grandfather wrapped around me to coax me into the ocean. Later, like most children, once the fear was conquered, no one could hold me back.
Now, living on a piece of land that juts into Indian River Bay, Delaware, less than a mile from the ocean as the crow flies, the sound of the surf on nights when the wind is right lulls me to sleep.
The sea has drawn people from time immemorial. Staring across its expanse, it is a vast, wonderful reminder that we are not in charge. Its unchanging changeableness inspires poets to rhyme, has inspires artists to paint and stills the restless mind.
~ Ellen
