Tide Pools Living on the Edge
Given a choice between a trip to the mall with a purse full of green or a trip to the tide pools with a fully charged digital camera, I’ll opt for the latter every time. As a resident of landlocked northern Idaho, I took every opportunity to explore the Oregon coast. Now that I live in San Diego, prime tide pool viewing is just a few blocks away and I visit frequently, especially during the months of November through March, when the tides are negative and the surge is low. I attach a polarizer to my zoom lens and take pictures until both batteries are drained. And most of my pictures are miserably bad. Yup, and I love them that way because I am not a botanical painter or a National Geographic photographer. If gallery patrons are looking for a scientifically accurate description of tidal flora and fauna, they won’t find my signature on it. Instead, I am interested in the magical essence of forms and colors dancing beneath water which reflects and refracts and taunts the viewer with the poetry of ebb and flow. Those digital files only serve to inspire and stimulate me to reinterpret my internalized experience. The resulting paintings are meant to share my watery journey with those who might enjoy it.
