This painting is of one of the largest working freighters on the Great Lakes - The Lee Tregurtha. My clients told me the story of their adventure taking a cruise on this ship. I will never look at a freighter again without wondering if it is as tastefully appointed as this one. Their photos of the interior showed red velvet, brass, and leather, and a master chef on board. This was no ordinary cruise -- no casino or swimming pool on board -- but plenty of walking room and lots to see along the way. The two smaller boats in the painting are my client's 40-ft cabin cruiser and a sailboat he once owned.
I painted this over the course of about 3-4 months, in 5 or 6 layers. The first layer was a wash of color to indicate where everything would be placed. My set-up in my studio was two large easels supporting this massive custom-made canvas. Standard stretcher bars and lengths of wood only go to 8 feet long. This painting, at 8-1/2 feet, needed an expert to create a frame strong and supported well enough to keep the center from warping. The fine linen canvas covering it had to be re-stretched a couple of times to make it tight and smooth.
Once the initial layer was dry, I sketched and re-sketched the sun and boats to be sure of accurate size and placement.
Another layer or two of paint was added, and then the process of filling in the detail. I didn't want to start this step until I knew I had 3 straight days of nothing to do but focus on this painting.
When it was done, the painting had to dry for about 2 months to be sure the thickness of the paint was cured enough to be able to transport it without damaging it.
I thank God every day for the gifts I have been given, and give glory to His works!
2 comments:
This is really beautiful and I am sure it will be the focal point of their home. Well done!
Thank you, Fran. It was truly a privilege to be able to do this. Their home is beautiful, and full of wonderful art. I'm honored to be included!
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