In the Time of Waves

I did most of this one with a palette knife, especially the rocky shore and the waves. I wanted that rough, scraped texture you can only get when you’re pushing paint around instead of brushing it on. The foreground came together first—just layering browns and lighter tones until it started to feel like a shoreline you could almost step onto. The waves were fun because the knife let me pull the paint in these quick, uneven strokes that look a little wild but still read as water hitting the beach. Once that part felt right, the rest of the scene settled in pretty naturally. The sky and clouds are softer on purpose, just enough shape to balance out all the texture below without competing with it. Framed, it has this nice mix of calm and movement. It’s simple, but it captures that feeling of standing by the water on a day when everything is bright and open.