Art :: Just Breathe

Happy Friday!  Today I'm guest blogging on Melinda's Musings, so make sure to stop by her blog to see my five favorite links from the week.  I am very much looking forward to our upcoming trip to Florida {only three more days!}  Ryan's cousin is getting married on the beach and his family decided to extend the trip for a family reunion, so we will be spending all next week in Clearwater Beach enjoying the sun and sand.  After this brutal winter, it will be a much welcomed getaway!  In the spirit of warm weather, today I wanted to share with you the work of one of my favorite artists, Samantha French.  I love the hyperrealistic look of her oil paintings, can't you just feel the warm sunshine and cool water on your skin?  From the artist...

"My current body of work is focused on swimmers underwater and above. Using vague yet consuming memories from my childhood summers spent immersed in the tepid lakes of northern Minnesota, I attempt to recreate the quiet tranquility of water and nature; of days spent sinking and floating, still and peaceful. These paintings are a link to my home and continual search for the feeling of the sun on my face and warm summer days at the lake. They are my escape, a subtle reprieve from the day-to-day. At the same time, I am drawn to an idealistic time before my own, where swim caps and wool swimsuits were commonplace. This combination of memory, observation and photography (old and new) has allowed me to preserve the transitory qualities of water and remembrance." 

Learn more about Samantha here and purchase her work here.  Have a great weekend!

Images via Samantha French