Memoir of the Ocean

  I returned home on May 16, 2015 from a trip East, where I stopped in Florida and was fortunate enough to swim in both the Atlantic & the Gulf side. I was reminded of the romance of the luscious waters and white sands, and despite the crowds, I was able to entirely soak in the gratifying experience of being immersed in such wonders as these immense bodies of water.

When I returned home, I was shocked and horrified to hear the news of an oil pipeline spill, which washed over 101,000 gallons of crude oil onto a beautiful beach that I have a personal connection to in Santa Barbara County. This heartbreaking news came just as I was to create new paintings for this opening, and the images of the ocean began permeating my movements through the studio as I experimented with these techniques that you can see in my "New Works" section, entitled, "Memoir of the Ocean".

I recalled some footage I recorded in Florida with my iphone of my shadow moving over the waves (this is a still from the footage) and as I watched it for the first time, I was mesmerized by how it spoke to me. The ocean and it’s presence on the planet is a blessing to us all, and to the many species that inhabit it. I created these shadow scenes as a visual “Memoir of the Ocean”, a dedication to these great bodies of water, with a prayer to the world that the films, photos, paintings (and all the images we create of our crystal clear waters), not be just memories, and not just a shadow in our minds.

This work is steeped in the hope for true stewardship, the connection of humans & nature and the infinite possibilities of this relationship. The permeable backgrounds and foregrounds lend themselves to a way for the viewer to imagine, and potentially experience, the intimacy of our connection with this sacred place and the responsibility we have as Guardians of the place we call home.

I returned home on May 16, 2015 from a trip East, where I stopped in Florida and was fortunate enough to swim in both the Atlantic & the Gulf side. I was reminded of the romance of the luscious waters and white sands, and despite the crowds, I was able to entirely soak in the gratifying experience of being immersed in such wonders as these immense bodies of water. When I returned home, I was shocked and horrified to hear the news of an oil pipeline spill, which washed over 101,000 gallons of crude oil onto a beautiful beach that I have a personal connection to in Santa Barbara County. This heartbreaking news came just as I was to create new paintings for this opening, and the images of the ocean began permeating my movements through the studio as I experimented with these techniques that you can see in my "New Works" section, entitled, "Memoir of the Ocean". I recalled some footage I recorded in Florida with my iphone of my shadow moving over the waves (this is a still from the footage) and as I watched it for the first time, I was mesmerized by how it spoke to me. The ocean and it’s presence on the planet is a blessing to us all, and to the many species that inhabit it. I created these shadow scenes as a visual “Memoir of the Ocean”, a dedication to these great bodies of water, with a prayer to the world that the films, photos, paintings (and all the images we create of our crystal clear waters), not be just memories, and not just a shadow in our minds. This work is steeped in the hope for true stewardship, the connection of humans & nature and the infinite possibilities of this relationship. The permeable backgrounds and foregrounds lend themselves to a way for the viewer to imagine, and potentially experience, the intimacy of our connection with this sacred place and the responsibility we have as Guardians of the place we call home.