And the Waves…

Abstract Expressionist emotionalism paintings • the “blue” paintings

How much our emotions are like the ocean, and how we have these waves that come, peak, and pass. And they come in, and they peak, and they pass. But for some reason, we get the idea that we’re supposed to do something about them.

The ocean itself accepts all waves. It allows them to peak and pass. And come in. And peak and pass. It doesn’t fight them. It doesn’t call some waves “good” waves and some waves “bad” waves. It accepts them all and allows them to flow.

Be still. Sit. Watch the waves. Feel the waves. Notice the waves. But don’t judge the waves. They are your nature. They are the nature of humanity.

This series is about the expression of emotions shaped by the mental health struggles of others, loss, and death in my life. Blue can be a happy and calming color, or the color of sadness. Yin and yang. In the same vein, ocean waves can be calming or treacherous.

I love the beach and the ocean, so the connection between waves of emotion and waves of the ocean feels especially strong. Through And the Waves…, I hope to express my own journey through these emotions.

“I found myself in a sea in which the waves of joy and sorrow were clashing against each other.”
Naguib Mahfouz

“Feelings are much like waves, we can't stop them from coming but we can choose which one to surf.”
Jonatan Mårtensson

“You’re not a wave; you’re a part of the ocean.”
Mitch Albom

“You can make it thru these waves.”
Joni Mitchell, “Blue”