At last, I started drawing the sea.

I live close to the North Sea, whith its beautiful beach and extensive dune landscape that I visit often. Yet drawing the sea was something I rarely did. I drew in nature, certainly, but the sea itself always felt difficult to capture.

Until it slowly drew me closer.

I walked across the beach toward the water, toward the tide line, feeling the cool waves around my bare feet, the wind on my skin, and the sound of the surf. That experience was what I wanted to draw.

Standing in the shallow water with my back to the sea, I began to work spontaneously on a long strip of paper. Following the rhythm of the waves, I drew with watercolor, sand, and shells gathered from the beach.

What emerged was not a drawing of the sea, but a collaboration with the sea.

Back home, I let the paper dry and gently brushed away the excess sand. As I did, the drawing slowly revealed itself.