What first inspired me to record this scene in oil included the exciting composition and the drama of the ocean eroding the shoreline. Having lived on a barrier island for many years, the constant battle with the sea is just a way of life; it keeps the day-to-day a little more interesting.
As work progressed on this piece, it hit me one day; the unused bundles of beach fencing that had been buried, eventually reemerged as the sea eroded the dune, leaving them positioned like cannons defending the shore. This imaginative visual determined the title and the direction for the painting. All of the elements in the painting are true to the scene, which could very easily represent a battle scene; it is a very literal translation. I further enhanced the viewer’s imagination by subtly suggesting cannon fire and smoke emanating from the fence bundle to the left.