Retreat

This dynamic seascape captures the raw power of an ocean wave in the midst of breaking and retreating. The artist uses thick, energetic brushstrokes to build up layers of color, from the deep emerald greens and teals of the wave's body to the sandy browns and golden yellows of the churning seafloor below. There's a beautiful transparency to the water that lets you see through the wave itself, revealing the complex swirls and movement beneath the surface.

Robertson-Fiddes works in a contemporary impressionistic style that emphasizes movement and emotion over photographic detail. The painting feels almost alive, as if you can hear the roar of the water and feel the spray on your face. By focusing on a single moment in the wave's life cycle, the retreat after its crash, she captures something fleeting and powerful that most of us have experienced at the beach but rarely stopped to really observe.