A Ripple in TIme

At the Hill Lifesaving Museum Juried Show

"A Ripple in Time" 11x14 Oil

 Each year I paint my granddaughter. I love watching her grow and try to preserve a special moment as well as create an interesting painting. We spend a week together on the Cape each summer. She spends most of her days alternating between the ocean and the pool and playing in the sand. The water can sometimes be full of seaweed and she's not a big fan; But on this day the water was crystal clear.

I was drawn to the transparency that exposed the ripples in the sand created by the movement of the water. This was complemented by ripples created by Elouise as she moved through the water. The sunlight was strong and provided perfect lighting. I used many layers and transparent glazes to create the effect that I wanted. 

It will be a gift to her.  Before gifting it, I submitted it to the juried "Sea and Sky" show at  the Hull Lifesaving  Museum. It is one of my favorite venues as it is all about the ocean. The title was suggested by my husband. I loved his title idea because it really expresses the ephemeral quality of such a moment.

The Long Goodbye

"Outbound" 11x14 Oil

Walpole, MA has a beautiful old train station. I have been meaning to paint it for years. That plan somehow kept getting pushed back on my to do list. One day while standing on the platform and watching the train approach, it was the ah-hah moment. I decided I would paint it including the train instead of focusing on just the station This meant viewing it from the platform instead of approaching it as I came up the hill. I may still do that view at some point, but I wanted to include my daughter hugging her friend one last time.  We never know when we may never see someone again and we should always savor any time we have with our friends and family. This hug was one of those moments. I think it is important to keep precious memories alive.
I combined several photographic images to create the composition I wanted. I had to take a picture as the train was moving as it never actually stops with this view. I liked the strong verticals and diagonals that seem to complement the station's angular appearance. The viewer's eye is led to the strong vertical of the figures that is slightly off center. The lines seem to encompass them like an additional hug.