I grew up loving Annette Funicello and the Beach Party movies. They all seemed so magic. I also loved listening to The Beach Boys and their songs about surfing and being with their girlfriends on the ocean. It all sounded so magical to a young kid living in Utah. I didn’t think I’d ever make it to the ocean. Since then I’ve been to the Pacific and Atlantic many times, have been in the Bahamas and on the North Sea coast in Belgium. Those times were really fun, but I never felt that magic  . . .

Until Labor Day weekend. I was visiting my daughters in San Diego. We went to La Jolla, but there wasn’t a parking space anywhere and the beach was really crowded. We finally  parked on a hill and walked down to the ocean. There was a pier there. I found out later it was the very famous Scripps Pier where well known  photographers do their work. As we walked along the sand I saw people having fun surfing, soaking up the sun and just walking along. I don’t know what happened, but I FINALLY FELT IT!!!  The magic came. This painting is my impression of the feel that day. I hope you feel the sun, hear the waves and the seagulls, feel the wet sand under your feet, and most of all, I want you to have butterflies in your stomach like I did.