Power Point

Power Point by local artist Joanne Willoughby captures that electric, fleeting moment when a wave gathers itself and breaks with force—where light, motion, and water collide in a way that feels both powerful and mesmerizing.

Rendered in soft pastel, Willoughby builds the surface in layers, allowing color to blend and shift in a way that mimics the movement of the ocean itself. Deep blue-greens and seafoam whites roll across the composition, while touches of light shimmer along the crest, giving the piece a sense of constant motion. There’s an immediacy to it—the feeling that the wave is just about to crash forward, caught in a single, suspended moment.

What makes this work especially compelling is the balance between control and looseness. Edges dissolve into one another, textures build and recede, and the pastel medium lends a softness that contrasts beautifully with the strength of the subject. Up close, the surface reveals delicate layering and subtle color shifts; from a distance, it reads as pure movement and atmosphere.

Finished in a beautifully textured, light-toned frame that complements the coastal palette, this original pastel painting brings both energy and calm into a space. It’s a piece that resonates with anyone who knows that feeling of standing at the shoreline—watching, waiting, and feeling the pull of the tide.