The Story Behind the Painting

For most of my life, the ocean felt like something far away — something I only saw in pictures or imagined when the rain fell hard enough to sound like waves. Growing up in Alice Springs, and then in Coober Pedy, there wasn’t much water — just red earth, open sky, and the sound of the wind.

Now, living in Port Macquarie, everything feels new. The air smells like salt, the sand sparkles, and the ocean feels alive. Every time my brother Soloman and I walk along the beach, it still feels a little bit like magic.

We look for tiny crabs hiding in the sand, racing each other to see who can spot them first. Sometimes we don’t say much — we just listen to the waves and let the water touch our toes.

This painting is about those moments — the feeling of being free, of laughing together, and of realising how lucky we are to live here now. It’s also about how much Sol means to me. He’s my little brother, but he’s also my best friend. Wherever we’ve lived — in the desert or by the sea — we’ve always had each other.

Now, the beach feels like our place — a place where the world is quiet, where the waves keep our secrets, and where I can always find him beside me.

This piece is painted on stretched canvas and comes ready to hang.