Historically, artworks involving beach scenes take a seaward perspective, depicting people on sand and views over the ocean.
On this day, the Newcastle coastline was littered with surfers, sunbakers, families and nippers. Incoming waves were big enough to keep swimmers alert, poised to dive deep under their powerful break. This overall busy-ness reminded me of a Boudin beach painting; the colours reflective of Streeton’s ‘Beach Scene’.
Inspired, I wanted to capture the energy of beachgoers, swimmers and waves from a different perspective. I swam out past the break. A large set arrived and “washing-machined” swimmers to shore, the swirling whitewater an indication of its power. As another wave loomed large, swimmers turned seaward again. As I faced the beach and paddled the wave’s peak, capturing this image of swimmers scrambling forward to avoid the impact zone of increasingly powerful surf, whilst sand-based visitors went about their summer business.