Beach Path by Roger Beale AO

Artist Statement

When I was young I lived for the beach – every opportunity was spent at the seaside and we looked forward to it so much. As a disabled child, but strong swimmer, I knew that once I got across the sand dunes and into the sea I could feel free to move in an almost weightless environment. Now, in a wheelchair, I cannot make it across the dunes or the sand. So when my wife and I stopped by the beach on a long and deserted stretch of the old Pacific Highway in the mid north coast of NSW I could not resist the temptation to draw the path down to the beach while my wife walked along the sand at the edge of the surf. This drawing in ink and wash is full of memories for me – it is quintessentially Australian. It is executed with reed and steel nib pens in Indian ink with a wash applied by brush.