What Lingers

“Tudo Bem” is inspired by a feeling of absolute peace I stumbled upon in Portugal, and now can’t give up.

The reference photo was taken at the rooftop pool of a five-star hotel in my favorite country in Europe, Portugal; yes, the kind of hotel with the fancy infinity pools and cocktails that feel like they belong in someone else’s hand. The first time I ever went was because my uncle was staying there, and my siblings and I went to visit him. We always stay in big houses outside the city when we vacation there, because there are too many of us to ever fit into a place like this without someone ending up sleeping in the bathtub. It felt exciting and a little surreal to suddenly find myself in this beautiful, serene space I never expected to be in. Years later, we still spend a day at this hotel on every trip, although the only thing we’re “visiting” now is the poolside bar and a couple of lounge chairs.

Although it might be a little mischievous to play pretend guests, I can’t give up the peace of it. The kind that settles in quietly and makes everything else fade out. Soaking up the sun on my skin, completely unable to overheat due to the ocean breeze flying over me and fighting off an impending nap just long enough to finish my mojito. As my sister reads beside me, my full grown adult brothers splashing around like little kids, time feels unimportant for once.

That’s the feeling I wanted to paint, not the luxury of a five-star hotel, but that complete contentment that shows up when you stumble into a moment you didn’t plan for. The feeling of the warmth of the day slowly melting the ice in your empty glass just enough to get one more sip and the sense that everything is okay just as it is.

This painting is meant to offer you a small moment of that peace every time you pass by it, and a wash over of contentment if you choose to pause and feel it.