Saltwater Triptych
By Kale for Salad Magazine
I.
Water has carved intricate paths through the grey sand. It flows around rocks as it recedes back into the ocean. Blue and pink light from the sky reflects off the water.
II.
The sky is an endless expanse of cloudless blue. Gentle waves roll towards the shore as a flock of pelicans flies in formation to the water.
III.
Waves crash at your feet. Further out, the water is calm, and golden sunlight reflects off of its surface.
Blurb from Kale
As luck would have it, I had the privilege of going to the beach in December, so I decided to paint some photos that I took while I was there! I usually like to work on big canvases, but I wanted these to be small (they're 3 by 3 inches). It's pretty hard to get bogged down in details when you're working on that scale, so I got to be looser than I usually am. This was also a challenge for me because I think water is hard to paint, but nevertheless, I persisted.
Every time I paint, I wonder why I don't do it more often. Unsure if I should make that into a formal 2024 resolution because it seems like formalizing this stuff always causes it not to happen.
A series of 3 gouache paintings depicting various scenes on the beach. The color palette consists of soft blues, greys, and browns. The paintings are small, with only the suggestion of detail.