“The sea pronounces something, over and over, in a hoarse whisper;
I cannot quite make it out.” -Annie Dillard
We spent the end of our year out in the pacific northwest, in the San Juan Islands. When you visit the islands, there is a lot of ferry crossings of the water. I suppose it could get tedious, but I love sitting on the ferry and staring out into the blue and gray expanse, occasionally interrupted by a dark wooded body of an island. And I dream of one day living in a little cabin on one of those islands……it’s just a dream, yes I know.
When we got back to the opposite coast, the water stayed with me and I painted The Pull of the Water which I am happy to report has already sold. But before it found a new home, a visitor to my studio saw it on the wall and said, “Oh, I’d love to see that much bigger!” And I said, “hmmm, yeah, me too. I’ll work on it.” I pulled out the biggest canvas I had in my storage closet and my oils and started working on it.
oil on canvas
40×30 inches
I finally finished it yesterday. And while it is seemingly very simple and minimalist, there is a lot going on, if you were able to take a step closer. But since this is a computer screen, I took a detail shot of the deeper part of the water. Layers and texture. Those are two things that are always consistent in my work, no matter if the bodies of work are so different.
For whatever we lose (like a you or a me),
It’s always our self we find in the sea.
-e.e. cummings
This is beautiful.
Thanks so much Kim
A painting captures a moment in time. The sea is forever changing, always in motion and reflecting the nature of the sky above it. Capturing this dynamic,particularly the interaction of sky and sea is difficult.
Thank you John for sharing your insight. It is always changing. I think that is part of what keeps us entranced by that line. Always changing, unchanging. For me, and with this painting, I want to capture more my feeling of looking out into that horizon line. Thank you again.
I love the combination of simple yet complex & richly textured. I’m Canadian, living all my life on the West Coast in a suburb of Vancouver, so I know full well the ferry rides and the gorgeous water scenes you’ve evoked in this piece. Just lovely. Also wanted to tell you that I adore your work and am really pleased to have found your site (from info in Patricia Seggebruch’s “Encaustic Revelations”). I’m looking forward to finding a platform such as a blog or website to get my work online again and I love how your site is laid out. Very inspiring.