Goodbye!

Sometimes, it's really hard to part with a work of art.  This one was particularly difficult to part with - I have so many fond memories of hauling my own lobster traps around the ladle, my boat "Grammie" loaded with eager family and friends, all straining to see if there were any lobsters in the trap.  This painting is also a tribute to the subject of the painting, my young friend and mentor in the lobster business, Jason Tyler and his wife Holly, his boat's namesake.  They bought this painting yesterday - it really does belong on their wall.  Thank you, Jason & Holly!

 

 

Jason's buouy is in the lower right and mine (blue - white - navy) is in the center of the island reflection.

Painting with "Authority"

One of my instructors once said that you need to get to know your subject; go over there and look at it closely, touch it, stand on it, if you can.  When you do that, you can paint with more "authority".  Following his advice, I have tried to immerse myself into everything I paint.  I hiked the trails, hunted the moose and deer in the Maine Northwoods, canoed on the rivers, fished the trout, cooked, and ate it.  I bought a lobsterboat and caught lobsters, photopraphed lobsterboats, islands along the coast, the brakers on the rocks.  Following that same philosophy, the other day I went out with two local fishermen fishing for halibut.  Here are some of the photos I took, "on location."

Nice catch, boys!