Kayaking is one of my passions and I am lucky enough to have some good kayak friends who are especially skilled. This watercolor is of a friend who was kayak surfing in the Pacific Ocean in the dynamic coastal waters off northern Washington state. Kayak surfing is just what it sounds like -- trying to catch and ride a wave while in a kayak instead of a surfboard.
“Catching the Wave” captures the beauty and dynamic energy of one of my favorite sports.
Painting this watercolor was a bit different than my usual process. Instead of a variety of bright colors, this painting is almost completely just subtle shades of green and blue, with the white tops of the foamy surf near the top. I tried to be careful to keep the cresting wave as luminescent as possible. Since I didn't use any white paint in this picture, I had to make sure to not apply any paint to areas that I wanted to remain white. The whites are actually just the white of the underlying paper showing through. I loved that challenge!
The original reference photograph was taken by the fearless and talented kayaker, Deb Volturno. Thanks, Deb!