Summer Beaches

Mark Shasha is a modern day artist whose main inspiration consists of images at the beach, near the sea. His recreation of these images comes off as an almost realistic picture. The scenes depicted in his paintings are generally scenes that are normally seen at the beach. A few of my favorites include the "The Seekers" and "Sea of Dreams". Both of these images are oil paintings, which contribute to the realistic factor of the image.

Sea of Dreams:

The sea takes up more than half of the canvas, which indicates the importance of this element. The use of different shades of blue really help to create the texture of the sea. The affects of the combinations of different shades of blue create the affects of varying intensities of waves.  The colors used in these paintings are very realistic, in the sense that they seem to reflect the exact colors seen while on a beach. Personally, the green area located on one side of a wave is a very accurate description of water when hit by sunlight. That area stands out alot, and it represents a larger wave that is about to touch the edge of the beach. The varying colors helps in understanding the position and intensity of the waves. Due to the great  choice in colors while making this painting, the author was very successful in creating a realistic painting. The painting "Sea of Dreams" is assymmetrical, as the sea and beach take up most of the canvas, the little boy holding his pail is put off to the side. However, despite the little boy being found in the corner of the canvas, the break from the repetitive water and beach make him stand out. Due to this, the whole painting seems to be about the little boy. The use of an actual line seperating the sky from the water is very bold, creating the feel of looking out into the horizon.

In the image "The Seekers" Mark Shasha uses a psychic line to represent the girl following the girl in front of her. The use of this line adds to the intensity of the picture. It makes it seem like the girls are staying together so that they may complete a specific task. The contrasting black bathing suits when compared to the light blue sea in the backround grabs the attention of the viewer. Due to the contrasting colors, the image of the little girls stands out and makes it the main focus of the painting.

The artist Mark Shasha uses many elements of design to create images of beaches that are very often seen, however his shading, contrasting colors, and use of lines creates a new focus.