Soul Surfer

This work explores the inseparable and reciprocal relationship between people and the ocean by reflecting on how natural elements, like waves, tides, and weather shape our experiences and emotional connection to coastal life. Edward reflects on how the beach not only nourishes the body but also offers moments of clarity, connection and renewal. In this way, the work speaks to the quiet yet powerful ways the environment supports, restores, and connects us to place.

In this drawing, a young woman rests on her surfboard, eyes closed, face turned gently to the sun. She exists in a liminal state between surrender and anticipation just before the arrival of a broken wave. This still moment captures a sense of harmony and balance, a pause where the body and the natural elements of the ocean feel deeply aligned. The ocean is not only picturesque or a background but a presence offering support, stillness and quiet tension of what is to come.

Edward was inspired by Michael Zavros’ Bad Dad, particularly his lovingly rendered technique and introspective quality. Edward reinterprets this introspection in a self-fulfilling way where the subject is feeling positive, fresh and renewed. This can be seen through the subject’s expression, posture and body language. In contrast to his realism of the surfer, Edward has deliberately rendered the ocean with a looser, more expressive hand, allowing the water to remain in motion. The broken brushstrokes echo the fragmented energy of the waves as they thin and stretch towards the surfer, drawing the viewer into the rhythm of the sea. This approach captures the ocean’s transience and power, reinforcing its role as both a grounding and transformative force.

Model: Kathryn Dixon