An Evolving Life. Grace
Grace
With the country tensing up on all fronts this week as we head toward the election, I found it especially challenging to maintain my calm and harness my anger earlier this week. Without getting too political here, I’ve been trying to maintain hope that America is perhaps shifting from domination by white men toward more equality between the sexes and more human rights for all regardless of skin color.
With the death of our beloved Ruth Bader Ginsburg, however, it seems like we are stepping back to the dark ages before women’s rights, civil rights and human rights. Since anger can turn inward without an outlet, I started to get depressed. When that happens, I want to escape, to jump in my car and just drive. I have thousands of extra miles on my new Subaru because I haven’t travelled much beyond a 10-mile radius since March.
But where could I go? Covid is on the rise again in many states. With a low infection rate, New Mexico is a possibility, but that depends on whether my husband can take time to drive at least one way.
In the meantime, I tried to escape into my work, looking for surfers to paint as I have been this month. Although hurricane season can be frightening here on the East End threatening our breathtaking beachfront, our homes, and our way of life, Hurricane Teddy delivered epic waves from afar, attracting dozens of surfers to Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays.
Charging into the water, clad in black suits, clutching their boards bright with color, they appeared like warriors intent on nothing more than catching the best a wave had to offer. At first, I struggled searching for a way to render the many figures that appeared above water for just a few seconds.
Normally I photograph one in motion and use that as reference. But this time, I wanted to portray the scope of the event, its beauty and grace. On the second day, when I stopped striving for perfection, they appeared with just a few brush strokes. By keeping it simple, I was finally able to relax and let go…
Please click on the image to enlarge.
Grace
An Evolving Life Series
2020 Posts
Grace (This one)
2019 Posts
Click here to follow Meryl’s journey through 2019.
2018 Posts
Learn more about how it all began! Click here to read An Evolving Life posts from 2018.
