Constant through the Seasons (Coolum Beach), Acrylic on Canvas Print

31X42cm Fine Art Print (Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper)
 
Photo credit: Joseph Cooper (used with permission) 
There is nothing quite like the overwhelming joy that fills the heart at the sight of a perfect day at the beach. A joy that washes over like the sparkling blue waves - blues of every colour and shade, shimmering and changing as the golden sun filters through the crystal clear water. 
Coolum main beach holds so many beautiful memories for our family. It is the place we return to every year, an integral rhythm that brings a sweetness and respite to the pattern of the years. 
As children, I remember racing each other down the soft sand dunes to spend hours jumping over and under the little waves rolling into shore. If we were really lucky, dad might even take us out to the 'Deep Water'; his strong arms around our waist giving us confidence as we kicked our tiny legs, our little bodies rocking from side to side as the 'floaties' on each little arm bouyed us up. As a teenager, I remember early mornings with dad, watching the first rays of golden light flood the deserted beach and filling the landscape with colour as we ran barefoot on the wet sand. I remember diving into those beautiful blue waves, washing the sand from our legs and allowing the heat of the run to dissapate into the water, refreshingly cool against our burning skin. And I remember as newlyweds, coming to this familiar haven, enjoying long walks along that soft golden sand in the cool of the afternoon, hand in hand with our beloved with hearts full to overflowing. 
And each time we return to that familiar beach across the years, it is always a little different. There will always be a surprise waiting at the top of the hill where the steps take you down to the main beach, never knowing what the tides have done to the shoreline between this holiday and the last - sometimes eroding the banks to reveal piles of black coffee rock scattered along the shore, sometimes dumping so much sand that the stairs leading to the beach are all but concealed beneath the soft golden mound. 
Every year, there is something new to explore - from the changing tides of Stumer's Creek feeding into the ocean just a little way down the beach, to the hundreds of tiny rock pools hidden along the shoreline at the base of the boardwalk, to the power of the crashing waves at the base of the lookout. 
And though each year we change a little, the shoreline changes and the rockpools come and go - the sea is always there, mighty and powerful. A beautiful reminder of the God designed and created it - my constant through the years, never changing through each season that passes. 
I have chosen to capture this beloved place with a view of the main beach. The stark grey stairs towards the centre of the paining invite the viewer for a walk along the boardwalk, past the rockpools and up to the lookout where the beauty of the beach and crashing waves can be enjoyed. The iconic pine trees tower above the other foliage along the coastline, a familiar sight decorating the Sunshine Coast roads. And, of course, the stunning turquoise of the ocean lapping the golden sand is the main feature of this painting - the colours of a perfect day at the beach!