Send It Like Selkirk (Prints)

Description

With an invitation to showcase my art at the World Cup ski races in Sun Valley, I needed to create something relevant with winter skiing. A recent visit to the Van Gogh exhibit encouraged me to break free from rules and embrace spontaneity, and, inspired by his palette of ultramarine blues and cadmium yellows, this painting flowed effortlessly from top to bottom. I purposely chose to depict a skier twisting away from the viewer—not only because faces challenge me, but because I love how the absence of one invites the eye to explore freely. The sunlit horizon, towering snowy peaks, and valley houses below create a sense of vastness as the skier soars through the air. Titled Send It Like Selkirk, as a playful nod to Bend It Like Beckham, this piece is a birthday gift for my son, Selkirk, who grew up skiing on the backsides of both Schweitzer and Baldy Mountains in Idaho, living out the action captured here. (‘Send it’ is a sports slang term essentially meaning to do without thinking.)