I watched this little boy dart in and out of the ocean and then buzz around his mother like a bee around a flower. He was so excited to be at the beach that he couldn't contain his excitement. Finally, his mother called to him. Out of breath, he landed before her to welcome the drape of towel around his wet shoulders. The yellow and white striped towel is what captured my attention most. It stood out like a beacon against the boy's reddening skin, and offered a nice contrast against the blue ocean in the background. It also became an extension of her outstretched arms, wings of a swan wrapping her son in an embrace.
Over the recent years, I have been painting images of children with mothers, or children alone or interacting with one another. And I've asked myself why I'm attracted to these types of scenes. Other than the fact that I enjoy showing children in their purest innocence, I suppose it's also in reaction to the amount of violence we're exposed to in the world, a way of reminding myself and others that the world still offers a lot of joy, love and compassion despite the savagery. And most often, these gestures of loving kindness are expressed not in politics or conventional religion, but through the purity of humility and sincerity of selfless everyday acts.
To see more of my paintings www.karlbronk.com
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