Landscape of Memory

Memories of Long Beach, 2021 SOLD

Earlier this summer I began a painting with no set direction. My only intention was to explore the mediums of oil paint and cold wax. Over several weeks the painting began to evolve into something I’d seen before. A memory was being recalled and expressed in the painting. As memories often go, this one is a combination of places and moments overlapping. The essence of feelings evoked while in these places are what was being expressed on the canvas.

At the time I was painting, I was very much craving the feeling of being at the beach. Now that I live in Tennessee, this is not easy to do. I grew up and lived most of my life on the East Coast where I could visit the Atlantic Ocean or Long Island Sound whenever I wanted to go. This proximity to water was something I certainly took for granted and didn’t realize until I moved inland.

It hangs on the wall in my studio, where it reminds me of salty air, warm breezes, wide open blue skies, exhilarating cool water, the sweet fragrance of rugosa roses, and all the wonderful times I’ve had. These memories are enough to satisfy that craving for the real thing.