**Among the Dunes**

For Oregonians, the journey to the coast is as much a part of the experience as the ocean itself. It begins on the winding two-lane highways that cut through forests and farmland before finally opening onto the broad Pacific horizon. Then comes the slower pilgrimage: driving along the shoreline in search of a quiet place, walking across wind-shaped dunes, and arriving at that fleeting moment when forest, sand, sky, and water seem to exist in perfect balance.

This painting captures that threshold. The sea is sensed rather than fully revealed, its bright reflections drawing the eye through the dark masses of trees and coastal brush. The broad, economical brushstrokes and restrained palette reflect the principles of American Verismo, where direct observation (*dal vero*) is distilled into expressive visual essentials rather than photographic detail. The painting preserves not only what was seen, but what it felt like to stand there—the cool marine air, the shifting coastal light, and the anticipation of the open beach just beyond the dunes.

The result is a landscape of lived experience. It reminds us that some of Oregon's most memorable places are not the famous viewpoints, but the quiet passages between forest and sea where nature reveals itself with dignity, simplicity, and enduring truth.