While You Were Looking Down

This painting captures a fleeting summer moment on the French Riviera. A young man sits above a busy beach, absorbed in his phone, while life continues around him — people enjoy the sun, the turquoise Mediterranean Sea moves gently below, and a seagull crosses the open sky. I was drawn to the contrast between the man looking down and the bird flying freely above him. The bright lemon-yellow umbrella against the turquoise water brings the unmistakable colors and atmosphere of the Côte d’Azur into the scene. For me, the painting is about the quiet dialogue between us and the world around us. Sometimes, while we are focused on our screens and everyday thoughts, something beautiful is happening just beyond our attention.