The CALL of the SEA

From Robert Henri to Jasper Francis Cropsey to the iconic maritime scenes of Winslow Homer, artists have been captivated by marine and coastal subject matter for centuries.

- INTRODUCTION BY ALYSSA M. TIDWELL

1. Paula B. Holtzclaw, Meditations, oil on linen panel, 35 x 45" 2. Joanne Parent, Prelude, oil, 24 x 48" 3. Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach, Shadowplay, watercolor on paper, 9 x 12", by Becky Ryan. 4. Gary Johnson, A Day At The Beach, oil, 8 x 8

The swell of the ocean seems to lure artists in-the rise and fall of the tides, the beauty of morning light dappled across the water, seafoam and white waves crashing along the beach, or the mystique of an unfathomably expansive sea, stretching for thousands of miles with no shoreline in sight.

North Carolina artist Paula B. Holtzclaw paints seascapes with a blend of classical realism and impressionism. Her coastal scenes are glowy and highly atmospheric, with brilliant skies and soft, moody light that creates stunning effects on the water. Living in a southern coastal state, Holtzclaw paints the Lowcountry marshes, beaches and lagoons. Meditations, an oil seascape by the artist, features gentle, asynchronous waves under a setting sun. "I paint what is beautiful and meaningful, knowing that this act of celebrating and communicating the beauty in this world, has the power to uplift and inspire," Holtzclaw reflects.

Another artist inspired by the sea is marine painter and ship captain Joanne Parent, who started sailing when she was 8 years old. Growing up along the coast of Maine, surrounded by forest and coastal inlets, Parent found herself immersed in what felt like an endless stream of artistic inspiration. Like many coastal Mainers, Parent had a calling for the sea. The artist, who once set sail for nearly 10 years in the 1990s, paints vibrant, dramatic views of the salty East Coast waters.