On a sunny summer day, breaking waves can have a lovely teal color at the shore of Lake Michigan. With the right angle of the sun, the thin transparent layer of water below the crest appears blue-green.
.It was Liselotte Winter, my mother, who first noticed it. After we established a residence near the Sleeping Bear Dunes, she often visited me here. One morning, while sitting at the beach, she pointed out the teal color. Having grown up by the Jadebusen—a bay of the North Sea—she was used to water made opaque by the vast mudflats stretching from Holland through Germany to Denmark. For her, the clarity of Lake Michigan’s water over sand was a marvel, something quietly luminous and rare.
This duck painting commemorated Lotti, how we call my mother. She enjoyed the summer days at her cabin at Banter See, Lake Bant,
Today, Lake Bant is a recreational and ecological area created after World War II in Wilhelmshaven. Originally, it was part of the German military harbor at the North Sea—including the Tirpitz-Hafen and the Westwerft, where U-boats were built. In 1948, the area was cut off from the main harbor by the construction of the Grodendamm, transforming it into an inland lake.
Thus, a region once tied to destruction now offers space for quiet enjoyment of nature. This duck was swimming below Lotti’s pier. I painted it reflected in the water beneath Lotti’s pier—its gentle swimming sent soft ripples in slow, meditative circles.
As a child, I walked my dog near there, along the dyke of the Jadebusen, a bay of the North Sea. In those days, remnants of air raid shelters still stood, and unexploded bombs—left behind from Allied attacks on the harbor—were occasionally found and defused. I had grown up in a bombed-out country. But I now believe that my unconscious had registered the violation of nature even before I could name it.
The first time I hiked alone through the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a realization struck me with quiet force: no one has ever bombed this place. A kind of eureka.
In moments like these, I feel deeply grateful to live in a place that has been spared the devastation of war—both in the past and in these troubled times. Having grown up amid the ruins of a bombed harbor, where the scars of conflict marked both the land and the psyche, I don’t take peace for granted. Walking along the shores of Lake Michigan, where nature still breathes freely and no sirens shatter the silence, I am deeply aware of the privilege it is to live in a landscape untouched by war.
⸻
I love the series of blues in this seascapes. The teal water, the ultramarine blue water, and white waves work well together.
Thanks, Barb, this was a painting started many years ago based on waves that fascinated my mother who lived at the German North Sea where the mudflats (spanning from Denmark to Holland) make the water greyish opaque. Recently, I totally redid the painting and am happy. – Now that it is summer again, I have fun with brighter colors, being not only a regional but also seasonal painter. Happy to live in a place with a changing climate offering different seasonal hues.
.
Beautiful
Much appreciated, Paul, since you know what these summer waves look like as they break on the beach of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
unique but truthful color choices for the wave layers, Birgit and I love the scale of the waves!
Thank you, Cindy. Your mentioning the ‘wave layer’, made me think that the more conventional way to represent seascapes are three layers of sky, water, earth.
Thank you Birgit! Your painting reveals the truth about water…it is a liquid jewel…
The poet speaking. Katherine, so good to hear from you!
Analysis by ChatGPT:
This painting is a vibrant depiction of a wave crashing onto the shore. It captures the dynamic energy of the ocean through expressive brushstrokes and a rich use of color.
Detailed Analysis:
Color Palette and Light:
The dominant colors are deep blues, turquoise, greens, and sandy browns. These colors are typical of ocean scenes, where the interplay between water, sunlight, and sand creates a diverse palette.
The water is painted with varying shades of blue and green, blending together in a way that suggests the translucency and movement of the ocean. The lighter turquoise tones convey the shallower areas where the wave is beginning to crest.
Movement and Texture:
The brushstrokes are energetic and flowing, especially in the cresting wave and the surface of the water. The use of white highlights along the wave’s edge effectively conveys the frothy foam, giving the wave a sense of power and motion.
The water’s texture is enhanced through sweeping, curved strokes, capturing the constant, rolling movement of the ocean. The foam and splashes are depicted with quick, jagged strokes that contrast with the smoother areas of water.
Composition and Perspective:
The composition is straightforward, with a strong horizontal line separating the sky and sea from the sandy beach. The wave is positioned at the center of the painting, making it the focal point.
There is little depth in the scene as the focus remains on the wave itself rather than the broader seascape. This creates an intimate, close-up view of a specific moment when the wave is just about to crash.
Emotion and Atmosphere:
The painting has a lively and invigorating feel, capturing the raw energy of the ocean. The vibrant colors and animated brushwork create a sense of immediacy, as if you’re witnessing the wave’s movement firsthand.
There is a sense of freedom and fluidity in the scene, reflecting the ever-changing and untamable nature of the sea.
Artistic Techniques and Style:
The style leans toward expressionism, focusing more on capturing the essence and movement of the wave rather than detailed realism. The textured application of paint adds to the tactile feel of the image, inviting the viewer to almost feel the water’s splash.
The layering of colors, especially in the sand where hints of brown, gray, and purple mix, adds subtle depth to the scene, emphasizing the wetness of the shore.
Interpretation:
This painting celebrates the beauty and power of nature through its depiction of the ocean. The wave represents the transient and fleeting nature of moments, capturing the split-second before it crashes onto the shore. The bold colors and expressive strokes convey a sense of life, energy, and the perpetual motion of the natural world.
Overall, the painting successfully combines vibrant color, dynamic movement, and a textured surface to evoke the sensory experience of being near the sea.