This painting made me uncomfortable for a while. It has loose sections that at first I thought might be out of control, too free form, and technically crude. After all I want to appear in control, technically excellent, like someone that knows what he is doing. The painting may be some of those out of control things but it also has bold marks of color, big free shapes, which came from the power of improvisation. I think that this gave it some emotional punch, and these out of control things demand some participation from the viewer to fill in the undefined areas, help hold it together. I think that this looseness helps the painting to get beyond predictable and go to raw feeling. It doesn't concern itself so much with rendering grains of sand, perfect shading, and nicely described seaweed. It is made of  wild, bold, swinging brush strokes. When I first saw the beach it inspired me in this boldness and that effect dominated everything else, it contrasts with the more defined rock ledges. I painted this without the benefit of a pencil which I usually use for some sort of sketch. I forgot a pencil this time so I just winged it and that contributed to the overall free form effect, at first a floating galaxy that made me dizzy. I started it in 2012 and just finished it at the end of 2013. That last part was in the swirl of the water and some of the lighter water shapes. I felt these last parts helped unify the concept, contribute to the overall motion, but also anchor the galaxy to the here and now. I have lived with this work and now I have come to enjoy its freedom and boldness. I always have to battle with the tendency to over tighten my work, so at least I fought the fight to let things happen with spontaneity. Every time I start a painting I am captivated by some inspiration and once that takes hold, the painting dictates to me where it wants to go, I try to avoid killing it with too much overworked detail, too much preconception of what it should be, rather I have to relax, be straight forward, keep it simple, listen to the inspired direction in order to hear it and to let it keep its voice. John Singer Sargent practiced over and over his free flowing gesture like brush strokes that captured his subject in his final works with apparent effortless freedom. He knew the importance of saying the most with the least. It requires discipline, but strives for freedom. That’s a balancing act that can take a life time of effort. I guess I still have plenty to do.