Olivia Alexander

返回列表 2015年1月3日新增

Peaks and Troughs

As most of you know I live on the New South Wales coast of Australia and we have some of the best surfing beaches including 'The Farm' at Killelea, Bombo and one of my favorite places, Shellharbour North beach.

This little artwork is inspired by my experiences at the beach.

My husband and I often head there in summer, but we must be getting old because sometimes the waves just terrify us, so in the past few years, we've started using 'boogie boards' , which are like short simplified surf boards with a strap for your wrist.

Many a time we've been happily playing in the water when in the distance we can see a huge wave rolling in....a moment of panic, its too late to make it to shore!

Ever felt like that?

You know, that horrible feeling you get when the wave picks you up, flips you like a rag doll then embeds you head first in the ocean floor, all the while your life is flashing before your eyes in bold technicolour!?

It's during those moments, when my head is under the water, its completely silent (except for my internal screams that is),and I have no idea which way is up, that I think,

"If I get out of this alive I'm NEVER doing this again!"

Hence the boogie boards....something to hang on to so at least I will float to the surface at some stage!

After all, this we still manage to stagger out of the water, bags of sand down the swimsuit and stuck in unusual crevices, and thank God we have made it through to see another day!

Next year we will be back doing the same thing.

It's so exhilarating riding the board into shore, usually falling off in a few inches of water!

Not very elegant, but great fun!

It's a bit like that in life don't you think?

Peaks and troughs, ups and downs?

We don't always know when the wave will hit, we just have to get through it, survive, and try to have some fun on the way :)

Here's to surviving!

picture: 'Peaks and Troughs',

mixed media on 300gsm paper ,

300x460mm unframed, unmounted, ready to frame.