I love swimming pools. In fact I'm a swimming pool addict. They are just great. In the summer when it's boiling outside they are refreshing and cool you down instantly and in the winter they are wonderful when they are heated.
I was recently reminded of them when I came across an article about the fact that the painting "Portrait by an artist" is set to be sold for $80m in New York. Hockney is still alive and therefore this could become the most valuable work of art by a living artist sold at auction. Hockney's painting encapsulates beautifully that particular pool mood. Hockney loves California but this pool scene could almost be anywhere. The background is reminiscent of Tuscany. The painting evokes a deep yearning for this wonderful green landscape. It's almost like a photograph, alive but frozen in time. Sort of like a pool. Time just slows down when you're in the pool.
