Oil on canvas – 9,45 x 11,81 inch – Unique work

Facing the sea, I feel so small.

Tirelessly, the ebb and flow of the waves makes me feel blue. A never ending story punctuated by the waltz of the tides. An impressive amount of water as far as the eye can see. The horizon seems so distant, unreachable. Is the earth flat? Round? Honestly? Who could tell from my point of view, very specific, in Ambleteuse that afternoon.

As I observe him even more intensely, and close my eyes, the smells of the sea invade my nostrils. A mixture of salt, iodine, memories of other generations, those we don’t know exist, the secret ones. This mixture makes me travel, takes me to unknown places. I love telling myself stories so much. And then there are also the seagulls, and especially the black-headed gulls. They taunt me, brush against my hair, hesitate, then continue on their way to the icy water. They exchange lively words together. Arguments of angry, rushed, furious seagulls about global warming. More intimate, more serene, more incredible conversations that I don’t understand. The mystery remains intact and that’s the way it should be.

Walkers come and go, but oddly enough, they bother me in my thinking. My concentration is disturbed by their futile, inconsistent, unnecessary talks. Their sometimes hateful looks pierce me. Their benevolent looks are almost non-existent. The sea is beautiful. She is life, death, fate. She knows how to be patient, reassuring when she can. But she also knows how to get angry, drown more than her own sorrow, invade, destroy. In the end, it simply takes back its rights. She was there long before us and will be there long after too. She’s attracting the admiration. She has all of mine. Water isn’t necessarily my favorite element and yet I’m never tired of it. Her strength inspires me, attracts me and terrifies me. She guides me, reassures me, heals me.

Tirelessly, the ebb and flow of the waves makes me feel blue. A never ending story punctuated by the waltz of the tides. An impressive amount of water as far as the eye can see. The horizon seems so distant, unreachable. Is the earth flat? Round? Honestly? Who could tell from my point of view, very specific, in Ambleteuse that afternoon.

Facing the sea, I feel so small.