Since I was born, I've spent a week every summer on the gulf coast with my family.  Not far from where we live, it was always a wonderful getaway filled with salty air, ocean breeze, and enough sun to last us until next summer.   Last year I was captivated by the pristine sand dunes in front of our beach house leading to the ocean.  I took countless photographs and knew I'd have to recreate them with paint.  I was drawn to the inter-connected webbing of plant life, the way they build upon themselves within the hills of sand.  Dominated mostly by sea oats, bitter panicum, and marshy cordgrass, hurricanes can completely demolish these formations but they always rebuild themselves over time.  They serve as a natural barrier to stabilize the coastal dunes.  

 

As this series evolved I let it change shape organically.  The first few paintings started out somewhat tighter, a bit more refined, and as I got comfortable with the scene and color palette the paintings became more abstract, textural, and intuitive.  I plan to continue this exploration each summer, furthering my study of plant life and awareness of their importance on the coast.  I hope you enjoy the first series of paintings in my on going gulf coast collection.