Ebb and Flow

Painting the sea is a combination of two great passions for me; painting, and the ocean. Reading many essays by established seascape painters past and present, they note great amounts of time are to be invested in studying the sea, it’s movements, interactions with the coast, rocks and plant life. The ebb and flow of water, the reflected light – being that the sea is one giant reflector of the sky – the angle of planes of water determines their colour depending on the amount of sky they are reflecting. Conveying the power and mood of the ever changing ocean and coastal environment.

Being a surfer I have a lifetime of experience in observing the sea, and I think surfers see the ocean differently. The relationship a surfer has with the ocean is an interactive one, much like any sea going type, be it fisherman or sailor. With dynamic movement and unpredictability, I think seascapes are timeless in their ability to inspire, from out of the corner of your eye while you play partypoker or as a focal piece of in the living room. The temperament of the ocean is under constant scrutiny in relation to how it may effect what you are trying to take from, share with, or sail over it.

Creating seascapes is a lot like surfing, in that I need to deeply analyse what is happening in the ocean to achieve a convincing outcome, where the energy is, where it has been, and where it is headed. This leads to emotive work and bringing out atmospheric moments where the ocean plays the lead role, nature at its most pure and untouched.