Isle Be | Australian Seascape | Unframed Fine Art Print

Our family’s little patch of Northern Ireland aka Cold Country sees only about 96 days of actual sun a year. Compare that to where we live in the Sunshine State? 283.

This piece tells the story of our recent family holiday in the sun. I’m usually a conscientious family holiday avoider because with small children, the amount of extra packing, washing, baby-proofing-of-hotel-room-ing and brain space required means it never feels like that much of a ‘holiday.’ But this time? The search for sunshine beckoned. Years of holidaying only in Cold Country had left me yearning, needing, desperate, deficient in gentle waters, palm trees, scorching sunshine and warm, salt air.

…and it was everything I hoped it would be. It turns out? Sunshine holidays are easy when everyone loves the water. Master 4’s swimming improved out of sight in our afternoons at the pool (the choice of blue or yellow water slides definitely helped there - the yellow slide is ‘more excitinger’ FYI) and Master 1 still seems to have a sore face from smiling non-stop for 72 hours. My morning sickness was momentarily remedied by the sea and hubby got to soak in our happy, satisfied, magical family with no one whinging (me included!) AND enjoy long day sleeps. Everyone ate too many hot chips and blueberries and we went to bed in the evenings with the heady, heavy, intoxicating exhaustion of those who have spent their energy well.

When we came home I had to paint. Furiously, wildly, joyfully…unthinking. After almost 4 months of crippling morning sickness, those 3 days of perfect beach life had left me with visions as warm and affable as your morning cuppa and as effervescently surreal as cocktails by the pool at 4pm. We found Sunshine - literally and metaphorically - that Sunshiny joy that makes your heart feel like it will explode with excitement - that Sunshiny feeling of small children waiting for Santa in the days before Christmas…and that Sunshine? Well, it needs to be shared.

If you look carefully at this piece you’ll see hints of blueberries enjoyed with sticky fingers, pools and slides and tides and coves and if you stop for a moment you’ll just about smell a hint of that sunscreen/salt air/vegemite/ripe mango smell that signals summer in this island home we call Australia.

We can all find sunshine. Here it is for your walls.

This piece is available in A2, A1 and A0. All prints are easy to find standard frames for.

Shipping is free.