A love letter to the Coast of Maine

I grew up in Korea. We lived in Seoul but every summer we escaped the city for a beach community on the west coast called Taechon Beach.  In those days before high speed highways, it would take us all day in our Landrover to drive over river crossings, along oxen pulling carts, and through the rice paddies. The memories I hold from those summers are magical. We ran on sandy gravel roads from cabin to cabin calling out for our friends. We played beach games, swam in the Yellow Sea, explored tidal pools and collected shells. I always loved that feeling of salt on my skin and in my hair. 

When it came time to settle down somewhere in the US, Maine called to me because of the ocean. I knew I always needed to live near the sea.

I’ve spent the last year exploring the tidal pools, rocky outcroppings, the dark cold water and the pebbly beaches of Maine.  I wanted to pay particular attention to all of the elements that create this unique landscape.  The yellows of the seaweed, the purple of the rocks, the colorful pebbles, the dark green/blue of the water and the majesty of the sky.  The Maine coast holds a certain fascination for me and I wanted to capture what makes it so unique.  Even something as simple as a puddle of water captured on a rock can hold so many emotions and memories.  I wanted to create a body of work that celebrates my love of the Coast of Maine. I hope you enjoy these paintings as much as I enjoyed creating them.