The Story Behind "Water's Edge"
October 25, 2019
Some paintings begin with a beautiful sunset or a perfect summer day.
This wasn't one of them.
It was a quiet October morning along the Lake Michigan shoreline just north of Grand Haven. The sky was overcast, the beach was nearly empty, and Lake Michigan had risen to levels I hadn't seen in decades. Years of erosion had transformed the shoreline. Sandy paths had become steep cliffs, stairways no longer reached the beach, and cottages stood uncomfortably close to the edge.
Curious to see it for myself, I spent the morning exploring.
Finding a way down to the water wasn't easy. I searched until I found a place where I could carefully make my way down the bluff with my camera in hand. Looking back, it was probably a little riskier than I realized at the time, but once I reached the beach, the noise of the world seemed to disappear.
I walked for quite a while along Lake Michigan.
The shoreline told a different story around every bend. Exposed roots clung to the bluff. Fallen trees leaned toward the lake. Stairways hung in midair, reminders of a landscape that was constantly changing. It wasn't the postcard version of Lake Michigan that most people hope to find.
Yet it was beautiful.
Before making my way down to the beach, I paused at the top of the bluff and noticed a single tree overlooking the water. It stood with quiet grace, reaching toward the lake as though it had spent a lifetime shaped by the wind. I took several photographs before continuing my walk, never realizing one of them would later become Water's Edge.
When I returned to the studio, I found myself thinking less about the erosion and more about that tree.
It would have been easy to paint a story about what had been lost.
Instead, I painted what remained.
Strength.
Grace.
Hope.
Looking back now, I realize that's how I've always approached both art and life. Even when the landscape is changing, I find myself searching for what is still standing, what is still beautiful, and what is still worth celebrating.
Water's Edge isn't really about a tree.
It's about choosing to see beauty, even when the world around it is changing.
Water's Edge is still available as an original oil painting.
If this story or painting speaks to you, I'd love for you to see all the details, including additional photos and sizing, in my online gallery.