Surfing and Painting the Ocean

Five months pregnant, one of the last sessions before my son was born.

I’ve been painting the ocean a lot recently, and it occurred to me that I should revisit how surfing and art are intertwined.

Why do I paint the ocean?

I have loved the ocean since I was a child, growing up on the shores of South Jersey. After leaving my hometown, I spent a decade living in various cities away from the coast. But when I was about 30 I discovered surfing, and it changed my life.

When I surf and when I’m in the ocean, I feel:

• That I am a part of nature, that I am one with all life

• That I am enough, being just me, that I don't have to be anyone else. I don’t have to be a better surfer or a better artist. I can be me

• Gratitude and wonder for life’s gifts

• Tranquility and peace, even if I am having a rough time with personal or work matters

• A child-like joy

• Completely in the moment

When I paint the ocean, I paint these feelings into the work. I hope that my art will inspire similar feelings for you.