Living Aboard

E. B. White wrote, "A small craft is not only beautiful; it is seductive and full of strange promise and a hint of trouble. It is without question the most compact and ingenious arrangement for living ever devised by the restless mind of humankind. A home that is stable without being stationary, shaped less like a box than a fish, or a girl, and in which a homeowner can remove her daily affairs as far from shore as she has the nerve to. Close hauled or running free - parlor, bedroom, and bath, suspended and alive."

New Painting - not quite finished

Racing Sloop - Bird Series

detail

Sunday sail in Howe Sound.. 

Two steps forward and one big one back

Started painting this sailboat on wood box board about two weeks ago.. It's been slow going... probably scraped and sanded it back at least 4 times. Tried a pecan stain for the ocean and sky, but it 'stained it in patches, so once again I'm going to sand all the background down again.  The boat is looking OK though, so that's good.  This next time I'll apply a urethane to the freshly sanded wood, then add the pecan to warm up the area around the sailboat.

Rosie's Aura

Took this of Rosie the other day on our walk.  Hard to tell what's making the water ripple with no sound to accompany the pic.  It's her breathing... she just finished a half hour of hard running and every breath created a ripple in the water.  

And this notice at the local gas station

Tender Series: White / work in progre

Wood stain and acrylic on board
12 X 12

I've been working on this off and on for a week.  Lots of detailing left to do.  I'm using these smaller panels to practice for larger 24 X 24 pieces.  Get some of the bugs out on a smaller scale.  Always playing with new wood stains and mixing with wood stain gels.  Cutting back into the board as well to expose the wood, then determining whether just to just use urethane on the natural wood, or add another color of stain.  Can't wait to work on the larger panels!

Tender Series; Wooden Dinghy
stain, varnish, urethane and acrylic on board
8 X 10

I've been working for 3 days on this boat... and was about to give it up a number of times.  The paint is thick and nicked with re-fits.  It still isn't what I would have liked it to be, and there were several occasions when I salvaged it from the depths of the discard bin. Nick thinks it's too heavy looking for a light dinghy, but I like the solidity of her form, it speaks of strength and endurance, not just speed.  I haven't painted in the oar locks, I think it may take away from the sleekness of her shear line.

 It's a small work, 8 X 10, and painted with varnish, wood stain, urethane and acrylics.  I've learned a lot doing this work, mostly about what not to do.  Al in all, it may make for a good image for cards.  I've just sold a batch of cards to the local card and book store, Phoenix, for $100.  I'm going to approach some more shops that sell cards to see if they will go for a similar deal... 42 cards in all of 7 different paintings (mostly my boats) and 6 of each.  She'll sell them for $5.50 and I got $2.75 per card.  It adds up.