The Inspiration Behind the Sunset Series

Have you ever tried to capture a sunset on camera? Never great. Like concert videos, you really have to be there to appreciate it. But I love that about sunsets too! They are so big and fleeting that you can’t save it for later, if you want to experience the fullness of it, you need to be there. Looking and waiting and appreciating that moment.

In the evening, with five young kids, it’s the nightly routine of jammies, teeth, water, stories, Amazing Grace, prayers, and smooches goodnight. But on the best of nights, after all of that, when I see those golden rays, I grab our dog Rosie, and head down by myself to catch the sunset. For me, there’s a certain holiness in looking out over the water and seeing nothing made by man as far as the eye can see. It feels both personal and so far beyond me.

With this series of work, I wanted to make pretty paintings, yes, but I also wanted to capture the personal nature of each sunset. The changes in the sky, on the sand, and off the water that shift with each minute that goes by. They are like records of the best parts of the day, an exhale, a collection of memories from the summer. For me, each painting holds a memory of the nights we let the kids stay up past bedtime to run the beach with friends, the night of our neighborhood concert, the first and last days of summer, girls night with Topo Chicos and beach popcorn, book club, birthday swims, and Friday night pizza night. They are all little gifts of color and light and memories of the very best parts of summer. And like a sunset, I’m so happy to have someone to share them with.

-Bry