Summer vacation 

Nigel Van Wieck’s ‘Summer Vacation’ captures a scene of leisure using oil on canvas, presenting a study in contrasts and formal geometries. The composition is dominated by a series of vertical stripes created by alternating pink and white changing room doors, which meet the horizontal line of the beach in a grid-like structure. This rigid backdrop contrasts with the soft, organic forms of the figures. The painting's power lies in this subtle tension between order and fluidity. The artist sets the mood by the arrangement of shapes and lines, playing with positive and negative space, directing the viewer's eye across the canvas to create a balanced yet dynamic visual experience. In closing, note how Van Wieck uses these vertical stripes to frame the figures, drawing our eye to the human element within the structural landscape. This tension invites us to contemplate the relationship between humanity and our constructed environments.