David Hockney and the Local Pool

I felt like I was in a David Hockney painting this week.

My son and I spent a morning in the outdoor pool in our local park, and somehow we were the only ones there (besides the three lifeguards looking out for us).

The turquoise water in the pool was still, except around my splish splashing toddler in lemon swim trunks and his green pool noodle. The colors were saturated and crisp in the morning sun, with a bright blue sky broken up by pine trees and the tall poles carrying the lights for the hockey rink. Looking around me as I floated on my own green pool noodle, I felt in that moment the same way I feel when looking at a David Hockney pool painting. The scene was sensual and inviting. The golden light of the sun hit the metal on the light poles, and I decided that for the Hockney-inspired painting of this pool, I would add handfuls of gold glitter.

My visual analysis was abruptly interrupted by my son who took advantage of his mama’s art project to experiment with sipping the pool water. As he dramatically coughed with disgust and we continued our rounds of the shallow end of the pool, I noticed that my whole body was more relaxed.

It was easier for my thoughts to stay in the moment, in the pool with my son.

“A Bigger Splash”, David Hockney, 1967, Acrylic paint on canvas, Tate