A New Cat Boat Series

The idea for this series was born out of my love of painting small boats and the water that surrounds them. There is such a simple elegance to the form of these boats, with their curves and lines. There are so many nuances to explore in the changing moods of the water that surrounds them… movement, color, transparency, reflections. Years of vacations on the island of Nantucket have provided me with abundant reference, not only in photos, but in sketches and memories. I began painting the series in August while staying at a beach cottage, and I believe that observing and witnessing the changing moods of the sea every day for two weeks enabled me to instill life into the water. It was such a joy to be painting the water in each of these, as I imagined feeling the movement of the water with the brush as I painted.

"Blue Stillness" was the first on the easel.  In the early morning on a clear day, the water can be so calm, creating such beautiful reflections of the form of the boat.  A myriad of colors can be seen in the overall blue surface of the water as it mirrors the sky and clouds.  The cat boat is illuminated by the rising sun as it rests upon the gentle water.

"Rock Gently" shows a cat boat gently rocking upon the moving water on a beautiful,  breezy, blue-sky day as the late morning sun light plays upon the water.  I love to see the progression of color standing at the water's edge, from greens to deep blues.  The shallow waves close to shore allow us to witness the illumination of the sun beneath the surface, while the surface reflects the sky in varied hues.

"Dream" depicts a magical moment in the early morning, when the sky and the water are almost as one, wrapping the world in a soft blue cocoon. The early morning sunlight touches the cat boat, the orange buoy and the distant house. There is a dreamy stillness as the water gently ripples, allowing us to see beautiful reflections. Vaporous pinkish clouds are barely visible, but are reflected in the water along with the myriad of colors that create the beautiful blue.

I have been exploring and teaching a meditative process for painting for over a year. Applying this process in creating these paintings led to a wonderful journey of self-discovery. I realized that as much as these paintings are about the water and the boats, their beautiful form and the lifestyle they represent, they are symbolic of meditation.

Each boat is a solitary vision surrounded by an open space of water. There is space to be still, to contemplate... and reflect. Water has the ability to reflect. Water is also translucent, allowing us to see deeply. Water is healing.

Meditation, simply put, is mindfulness. These paintings were created in a mindful state as expressions of awareness... awareness of a connection with inner stillness.

The world needs healing and calm. I hope that these paintings contribute to that energy.