It is a very cold day in Indiana. The sun is shining brightly on the snow that’s piled up all over. My wife wants to run away and sit with me on a warm beach. I painted this picture for her today. I hope it will fulfill her wish.
The painting has five vertical bands – the sky, the water, the sand, the path, and the grass. This gives the painting rhythm. Notice the sailboats – some are closer than the others. The ones further away are over the horizon line, so only the tops of their sails are visible. Next, notice the two people walking on the left. The man is painted bigger than the woman to make it appear he is closer. Also the woman is painted from her waist up and the man from his ankles up. This is to give the illusion that the beach goes down an incline to the water.
If you look at the two people snuggled together, you’ll notice I have not painted them separately. They are both wearing dark clothing so their backs blend together. The sand has light and dark areas to make it look like ripples. The green area with grass and weeds helps give a feeling of depth to the painting.
Comments on Romance
Wow! I absolutely love that painting. I was expecting to see the typical palm trees with the umbrella drinks and instead I saw such a more intimate, peaceful, non-generic painting.
I love the way you describe painting, a stationary art, in the same terms I describe music and filmmaking, both temporal arts. Not only does it help others to understand the painter’s technique and insight; it also illustrates how all the arts–regardless of medium–have the power to affect the perceiver in identical ways.
Very romantic! I like the way the couple are joined together. It makes me want to snuggle up with my honey on the beach.