Finishing School

Eagle Harbor has been a fine place to spend the winter. The finest element, from my point of view, has been having a room on shore to use as a studio. I have been able to spread my painting tools out over several large tables, and work uninterrupted on many paintings. I’ve revisited and revised paintings begun during our travels, and translated a few water color sketches and photos into oil paintings. Knowing that the studio time is limited, I have pushed hard to finish as many pieces as possible. I’m learning that bringing a painting to completion requires a very different skill set from what is required to begin one; judgement, compromise, adjustment, refinement.
Here’s are snapshots of paintings nearing completion. For every painting I finish, the Captain has accomplished some major set of boat maintenance chores. While I worked on the painting of the wooden schooner, above, the Captain organized and cleaned the forward cabin.
This gray day scene is from Port Hardy at the north end of Vancouver Island. Float planes are common along the coast of British Columbia and southeast Alaska. I like their shape and the sharp bright colors they add to the subdued landscape. While I worked on this, the Captain wired a fancy new light in the galley.
This shoreline view is from a spell of warm, sunny weather in the San Juan Islands around the time of the summer solstice. I’ve been working on it far too long. The Captain has cleaned the entire main cabin, and climbed the mast, and it’s not quite done yet.
Finishing school will be over at the end of next week, when we will leave Eagle Harbor.