Sailing...takes me away

I’m dating myself here. That song, Sailing, by Christopher Cross brings back warm happy memories of the early months of C’s and my relationship.

Truthfully, the only thing about sailboats that takes me away is painting them. It’s a thing here in British Columbia - boat portraits. Pets, houses, wedding flowers and boats, I’ve had the privilege of painting them all.  As for the boats, I avoid boarding them, for a variety of reasons including severe sea sickness. 

I studied with a well known BC artist who once combined two of his photos: a sailboat and a mountain looming over the horizon. His painting was produced into a large scale run of prints that were sold far and wide. One day he received a call from an irate man who recognized his vessel in the painting. He exclaimed “You moved my sailboat! It’s never been moored near Mt. So and So. My teacher calmly replied, “I assure you I do not possess the ability to move sailboats, only mountains.”  Certainly a testament to his dry sense of humour. He gave us two important tips when painting a sailboat:

1. Never place them in the right side of your painting. People at a show will perceive it as sailing off the edge of the paper and will move on to consider the painting beside yours.
2. It is too difficult to paint a boat with its sails up. I ignore that one.

Here are two of my recent sailboat paintings. 

For those of you who have recently requested notecards and prints, I’ll be in touch shortly as I need to get an order placed and don’t want to miss anyone.

Comments

[Julie]

can i please get a copy of the herringbone rib scarf? thanks.

[Rosemary Foti]

Beautiful paintings Li.

Love, Rosie