'Summer on the Shore'
Pre-order pricing available on prints through Father's Day. See below.
'Summer on the Shore'
by Ellen Rice
|
I've lived near the ocean most of my life. I feel as though it's a part of me. The rhythm, the sounds, the salt air .... and the storms. As we move away from hopefully the worst of the pandemic, I needed to paint something soft and peaceful and an old reference photo of a friend's that I saved kept coming to mind. As with any reference pic, I start with the basic things that attracted me then put the photo away and let the painting dictate itself. I've lived in this particular spot a mile or so from the ocean for over 25 years, the longest I've lived in any home. This morning I've been sitting on my deck listening to the peaceful sounds of nature and trying to think of this still-wet painting's 'right' name. I'm not sure the one above is it, but it does encompass my love affair with Delaware's beaches that started as a teen babysitting cousins in Rehoboth Beach and became my home soon after. Somehow this painting reminds me of that early time. Though decades have passed, the ocean is timeless, isn't it? Sometimes I can hear the ocean from my home, even indoors, but not today. It's very calm, much like my painting. There is a soft, gentle quality to early mornings on the shore, especially during the first days of summer. The beach is fresh and clean from the ebb and flow of the night tides. Though the water is still chilly, jellyfish haven't yet arrived. The sounds of gulls beckon crossing the dunes. The feel of wet sand squishing between your toes for the first time tells you you've arrived. I hope this small painting captures the feeling of moments like this for you and gives you peace and happiness now and in years to come. |
