Building Boats

My brother sent me some some photos of the plans for the boat he is building and I immediately emailed him back asking him if I could use them in a piece I was working on. I have to admit I'm not sure what part it is, maybe the transom, but I loved the lines and knew just where they wanted to go. Love these serendipitous moments. I had to laugh when I think that only a few months ago I was working on navigational aids [link here].

Plans for the golden boat

Another Page in Navigational Aids

First thinking was the idea of pages with the corners bent back, the way we often mark where we are in a book. As so often happens, when I finished 4 pages I started to play with the placement on the studio wall. And while I liked the original idea, I liked this better. I really enjoy when a piece can have many ways of presenting itself. In the language for navigational aids diamonds warn about dangers like rocks, construction, dams, or stumps.

Diamond, charcoal, 60 x 48 in, 2013

Navigational Aids

After J. reminded me the other day that in ship navigation 3 black balls mean you've run aground, and we had howled with laughter, I thought it might be prudent to do a bit of research on navigational aids. This is what Wikipedia has to say.  

"A navigational aid is any sort of marker which aids the traveler in navigation; the term is most commonly used to refer to nautical or aviation travel. Common types of such aids include lighthouses, buoys, fog signals, and day beacons.
According to the glossary of terms in the United States Coast Guard Light list, an Aid to Navigation is any device external to a vessel or aircraft specifically intended to assist navigators in determining their position or safe course, or to warn them of dangers or obstructions to navigation."

All that laughter released something and the studio became a joyous place after a few grim days. I began to see again. And then I ran out of charcoal, so off to the Studio Store to buy more, and some more paper. 

The bow of the ship that went aground, 18 x 48 in, charcoal on paper, 2013