original painting by Brooke Harker.
Leisure Day depicts beach goers along the California coast. Taking photos of people on the beach with the hopes of obtaining a reference for a painting is a bit like gathering flies. One moment a person might be digging in the sand and in an instant take off running towards the surf. I track the vibrant colors of swimming suits in motion and use the placement of towels, umbrellas, buckets and beach furniture as a temporary source of stability. These items may move in an instant when an umbrella folds or a towel gets picked up. There is very little in a beach scene that can’t change, and I find the observation of this fascinating. I aim to find an arrangement of people whose actions in a moment support the vibe of a place. A mix of observing predictable and spontaneous behavior is part of the fun in this game for me.
Painting this piece brought a mix of unexpected moments. Beyond many neighbors who stopped to say how they wished they could be on that beach, an artist friend I hadn’t seen in over a decade came to visit. We’d shared a love of art years ago and his perspective always activated immense amounts of creativity in my brain. I set this painting up in the lawn and he painted behind me on the patio. I painted and concealed happy tears. This friend had a struggle with health in the past and I didn’t know if I would ever see him again once he moved overseas. I suppose this is the case with anyone; we never know if we will see them again. Although some people’s lives give more cause for concern. On that day, I gave him one of my old unfinished abstracts to paint over. He mixed a big pile of dark purplish grey paint for his creation and I snatched up clumps of the paint he mixed to be the shadows in Leisure Day. As I painted, I marveled at how our paths crossed again. I wished that I could have told the younger version of me that he’d be okay. Although, life doesn’t work that way, we don’t have time machines. We get the days that we get, so enjoy them.
Brooke Harker
