As the morning sun rises over a Mudjimba Beach, the shoreline comes alive with activity—yoga practitioners stretch in unison, children play ball games, swimmers embrace the cool water, surfers chase the first waves, outriggers carve steady rhythms across the sea, and surf lifesavers maintain their watchful presence. The interplay of people, light, and movement creates a shifting tapestry of forms and shadows upon the sand. At Mudjimba Beach, these shadows are not only shaped by people but also by the aircraft departing and arriving at the nearby airport, adding another distinctive layer to the beach’s visual character.

Summer from Above – Mudjimba Beach in the Morning, was created after viewing a documentary on Australian artist Brett Whiteley (1939–1992). I was particularly inspired by his sensitivity to the shadows cast by figures on the beach and how he translated this into visual form. In exploring this idea further, I studied other artists—such as Francisco Bartus and Craig Alan—who also employed shadow as a vital compositional element, each in their own distinct way. While drawing from these influences, I sought to develop a personal visual language, using both brush and pencil to capture the dialogue between light, figure, and shadow across the canvas.

Materials: Acrylic and oil paint, graphite, Mudjimba Beach sand  on gesso primed, stretched canvas