The inspiration for my painting “Dream Girl” (Acrylic on canvas 24″ x 30″ x 2″ depth) came from a walk on Buddina Beach (Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia) as the sun was going down behind a bank of clouds.

Evening is perhaps the best time to take in the beauty of this coastline as the heat of the day passes and the blue and white turns to pink and gold; and if you’re lucky a breeze will blow through your hair as you wade through the incoming waves, but watch out for the bluebottle jellyfish – I’m allergic!

My childhood friend Lorelle was happy simply to sit on a sand dune while I walked up the beach; she knew I would be some time for I was looking for the subject of my next painting. A couple with their two dogs, an old lady with her boxer, a hunky surfer – all worthy subjects for my camera – but then I saw her in the distance… Deep in thought as she looked out to sea, a young woman stood alone at the water’s edge; she seemed to delight in the feeling of the waves meeting her bare feet, and she couldn’t have known how lovely she looked as her form was reflected in the ebbing water.

Back in Brisbane two weeks or so later some art connoisseurs came to see the finished painting.

“Who is the girl?” asked my brother Bill.

“Just a girl, it doesn’t really matter who she is. I’d like her to be whoever the beholder imagines – like a dream girl,” I explained.

A little later that day a very important person came also to view the painting – it was Mason, our friend Roland’s six-year-old grandson, whom I’ve known and loved since he was a two month old baby.

“Who is the girl?” asked Mason’s mum.

“Nobody in particular, just a dream girl,” I said enigmatically (well, you have to try to make it interesting!).

Mason smiled as he walked over to where I was sitting and he whispered in my ear:

“It’s really you – isn’t it Sally?” 

“Yes,” I said and I gushed with love for the most darling little boy in Australia.