Status of Original Painting – Private Collection

Size: 15 x 24 inches

Medium: Watercolour on 300 lb d’Arches

Description:

This is near the easternmost point of the mainland of North America, specifically Cape St. Charles in Labrador. This differs from the more frequently mentioned Cape Spear, near St. John’s on the island of Newfoundland, which represents the true easternmost point of North America.

The scene attracted me for a lot of reasons. Many of my paintings have some element of man-made structures colliding with natural forces, and Nature always wins. The decline of the fishery is implied by the abandoned, dilapidated structures. There’s a story implied by this image. I like water with reflections, rocks, abandoned buildings, peeling paint, rotting wood, interesting clouds, growths between the rocks, and vivid colors. I’d had my eye on the reference photo for years, but only recently had the motivation and inspiration to tackle this challenging scene. It ended up being a lot of fun to do.

My working title was “Seen Better Days.” But during the weeks I spent on this, I found myself on several occasions listening to Fisherman’s Blues, the double CD from The Waterboys. Suddenly that title seemed more appropriate for this painting.

The reference photo was originally taken 10 years ago by Dr. Leslie Rourke, whom I thank once again. I’ve done a series of paintings based on photos she took when the MS Explorer circumnavigated Newfoundland in September 2007. That ship later sank off the South Shetland Islands in November 2007 after striking an iceberg.