Saltwater Immersion

The ocean calls to me.

This year I’ve been painting more seascapes than landscapes; an expression of the longing to be immersed in that element. Fortunately

I live where saltwater is a part of life, always in the air. The first time I saw the ocean at the age of 7, I fell in love. Forty years I’ve lived on Nantucket Island for exactly this reason. Some years I’ve managed to get in the water almost every day until it became too cold. Apparent priorities of other years left me feeling full of regret and longing when I finally did make it down to the water’s edge. I learned to surf in middle age without properly preparing my shoulders. This past summer I caught a wave not knowing it would be the last on a surfboard. It took 4 weeks for my shoulders and neck to recover. But I can still body board, swim, snorkel. Saltwater immersion feels like a baptism every time. Regeneration. Purification. A complete re-fresh from the cares of daily life back to some kind original state of bliss. Essential.