Rider makes waves – Ataraxia series

I couldn’t resist painting this from a photo my brother in law had posted on our family whatsap group of his partner who had taken her new horse to Noordhoek beach. The sky was quite different (just a normal, clear blue day) however the composition and ripples in the water intrigued me. I wasn’t completely confident that I could pull it off, but in the end this is one of the very few paintings I’ve stepped away from without thinking there’s more work to be done.

The sense of peace and freedom when looking at this painting is what I aimed to achieve, I hope you see it too.

Ataraxia Series

Meaning: Calmness untroubled by mental or emotional disquiet.
Ataraxia is a Greek term first used in Ancient Greek philosophy by Pyrrho and subsequently Epicurus and the Stoics for a lucid state of robust equanimity characterized by ongoing freedom from distress and worry. In non-philosophical usage, the term was used to describe the ideal mental state for soldiers entering battle.

76w x 61h cm
Acrylic on canvas
Ataraxia series