Of Ocean & Art
And I have loved thee, Ocean! and my joy
Of youthful sports was on thy breast to be
Borne like thy bubbles, onward: from a boy
I wantoned with thy breakers — they to me
Were a delight; and if the freshening sea
Made them a terror — ’twas a pleasing fear,
For I was as it were a child of thee,
And trusted to thy billows far and near,
And laid my hand upon thy mane — as I do here.
~ Lord Byron ~
As with George Byron, ever since I was a child, I’ve been in love with the ocean, mesmerised by it in fact. I would jump at any opportunity of going to the beach, to swim amongst the waves or to paddle in the rock pools. Where I grew up in Durban North, we didn’t live near the beach but in sight of it, with a view from Virginia to the Bluff. I would observe the ships at sea through my telescope, from the plunging troughs on the horizon-line to the winking lighthouse above Durban’s harbour entrance. All of this fascinated me, and in my room, I would draw these waves, the sailing boats and cargo vessels, the fish I’d seen whilst snorkelling at Umdloti and the shells I had picked up along the beach.
All of those wonderful colours and textures. I would revel in the smell of the ocean riding the onshore breeze at night, the deep blare of a ship’s horn leaving the port at dawn. The staccato honks of passing cormorants skimming moody swells and plaintive cries of hovering seagulls awaiting the fisherman’s catch. And always, the crash and sigh of distant breakers sending me off to sleep.
Then there’s the sensations — of a backwashing surge gouging the sand from under my feet, the whip of salty spray against my cheek, or the eerie, boiling cadences as I plunge into the green depths. There are so many tales to be told of playful dolphins, breaching whales and darting schools of fish. Of the furtive crabs peeking at me amidst slick black rocks and fierce barnacles, or a shore-break with a sense of humour, dumping me in a mangled heap on the beach.
All of this, from a vividly nostalgic past to a deeply appreciated present, translates from thoughts, into a language written on canvas and paper, with brushes, palette knives and paints, charcoal and pastel, in a script swirling with hues of blue and green. The seascape of my imagination speaks of purpose, of wisdom, of languid serenity and terrifying power. The sea remains my favourite subject, for not only does it present a multitude of interpretations to capture, it also invites, through its many perspectives, the contemplation of Life.
Whether as an artist, a romantic, a poet, a muso, or just someone seeking to heal, the Ocean, with its multifaceted nature, is always present to inspire anyone who might seek its companionship — a child of thee…
Guy McGowan
WASA representative in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
Chairperson of North Coast Artists, KwaZulu-Natal.