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Saturday, November 14, 2009

Surfboard Skimboard



Acrylic and Oil on Canvas  14" x 18"

This week I worked on this painting that has been stashed in my closet for about a year.  Thanks to input from Picard  while painting at his studio, I did major reworking and brought this to a point I could call finished.  Almost. To quote an unknown artist, "My work is finished only when it is gone from my studio".  I agree that as long as the painting is still in view, there may be something to fix or to change on it.

In the summer of 2008 we camped for a few days near Tofino on Vancouver Island. This is the place closest to heaven that I have seen. One lovely, sunny morning when some larger waves were breaking, I wandered the beach and took pictures of a variety of folks enjoying the blissful surroundings in their various chosen ways.  Not many of the young ones noticed me snapping pics, so snap away I did.  This painting is a combination of a few photos merged into one scene.  These young guys riding skimboards were tireless running time and again up and down the beach.

Here I am: the happy, mature photographer being ignored by the young boarder passing behind.  The wet suit allowed me to play in the very cold waves and to blend into the scene.  I didn't try surfing.















5 comments:

  1. Shelley,

    Visited your blog again today after some absence. It's wonderful to see your multi-faceted approach to your work and your dedication. I'll keep up with what you are doing more from now on. I didn't realize how prolific you are, despite your feeling that you have to squeeze in your time for drawing, painting, etc., and everything else.

    My husband looked up Tofino. It looks amazing. We may visit on our next excursion to the NW.

    Susan

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  2. Hi Susan, thanks for your note! Oh yes, a summer visit to Tofino on Vancouver Island is highly recommended. If you do come this way, it would be fun to get together!

    Shelley

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  3. Boy does this bring back some memories. I grew up in southeast Virginia and spent most of my time on the beach surfing and skim boarding. (I don't think I had a GPA in high school). This work has a lush surface quality that feels right, and you've captured the action really well. I has something top do with the fluidity of the brushwork. Super color as usual. I love to compose composite pictures - I like the inventiveness of it. Great photo of you too!

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  4. This is really great Shelley - and it looks jolly cold!

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  5. Hi Gary. I've been travelling for work for the last few days. Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I always appreciate them.

    Hey Liz! YES, the water is cold on the west coast of Canada. Wet suits required even in the summer. Nothing like SA. We hope to make it back there in late 2010.

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