Stuart Ball

"Almost There" Beachscape by Stuart Ball

1986

Original and whimsical drawing of a peaceful island life scene, treated with a humorous tone. The composition presents a joyful figure standing mid-calf in the water, her arms raised to the sky, as if embracing and thanking the sunny horizon and the serenity this moment brings her. In the foreground, on the left, stretches a landscape framed by lush tropical foliage, delicately rendered in soft greens, blues, and yellows, dotted with flowers evoking idyllic, fantasized landscapes of distant islands. The key character, wearing diving goggles, is dressed in a skirt of banana leaves à la Robinson Crusoe—his only outfit, suggesting that without it, he’d likely be in nothing but his birthday suit. Alone in the world, or nearly, as a rooster and a little pig seem to delight in the spectacle of this happy man, adding an almost surreal narrative touch, worthy of a storybook. The palm trees and vibrant flowers are carefully illustrated, providing a rich, natural backdrop without overshadowing the main figure, the placid ocean, and the unperturbed horizon line. The sun, hanging low in a clear sky, bathes the entire scene in warm light, capturing a moment of harmony suspended in time. Michael Dormer was an American fine artist, writer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and creator of the 1960s TV show Shrimpenstein. Highly influential in California surf culture...

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