A fundamental simplicity emanates forth from this oil work of art by Irving Ramsey Wiles. The emotion of solitude within the wind swept dunes and long coastal saw grass is enough to isolate a viewer into reflective introspection, and sets the mind to wonder and wander this shore. Northern Long Island, perhaps, or further south down the New Jersey shoreline; there's no clear indication of where Wiles took this inspiration.
Using a soft tonal range and defined yet loose brush strokes to blend the visible shore, sea and sky into harmony, this painting shows Wiles' masterful compositional vision as a basic take on a theme. The dory sits peacefully among the cool sand, with the high tide trough clearly making the obvious path through the dunes to the cold, clear blue sea. He is inviting you to adventure out into the unknown.
Wiles, a premier American artist and instructor for nearly 50 years, saw the fading days of sail and the rise of America on her way to becoming a world power. He may well have composed here an artistic wish for a simpler day than some that he witness during the 20th Century in the form of a wistful sandy coast, untroubled by the times.
