Aruna Rao

Squint, Oil Painting

2024

Artist Comments
Light shimmers across the water as the sun goes down. A sailboat fades in the distance, while the rocks in the foreground frame the scene. The soft breeze, glowing horizon, and rhythmic waves evoke the carefree feeling of long coastal afternoons.

About the Artist
Artist Aruna Rao paints impressionistic seascapes that capture the shimmer of light, the movement of water, and the quiet poetry of coastal life. "I am endlessly inspired by how light transforms a scene, softening the atmosphere and turning an ordinary moment into something unforgettable," says Aruna. Growing up in a literary family in India, she was surrounded by stories and art, which sparked her love of narrative and visual expression. After a 20-year career in IT, she returned to painting, earning an MFA with top honors from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Living in Florida offers endless inspiration, from sunrise beaches and glowing horizons to quiet harbors and small human moments that evoke joy and nostalgia. Influenced by French Impressionists and contemporary coastal painters, Aruna creates luminous works that invite the viewer to pause, breathe, and rediscover the beauty of the present moment. When she is not painting, she enjoys beach walks, discovering music, watching films with her husband, and spending time with their two cats.

Words that describe this painting: Maine, coastal, summer, shoreline, coast, shore, Sorolla, Jesse Powell, season, sunset, rock, panoramic, water, ripple, reflection, sunlight, impressionism, seascape, oil painting, blue

Squint
Aruna Rao
Oil painting on stretched linen
Stained wood edges
Ready to hang
One-of-a-kind
Signed on front
2024
12 in. h x 24 in. w x 1.62 in. d
2 lbs. 0 oz.