My Admiral, Ann

I may be the Captain but Ann is the Admiral. I consider myself extremely fortunate that my wife enjoys boating as much as I do. She started boating in high school while I was still in landlocked Ohio. When we met in 1967, I had never been on a boat. In fact, we were boatless (word?) for 15 years until one eventful summer in Maine when we took a daysail on Milky Way, a 40 ft sailboat. After that the die was cast. We went from a 27 ft Coronado to a 38 ft Ericson and finally to a Beneteau 423. Ann manages the helm when docking and anchoring while I handle the lines. Sometimes it takes a little strength to dock and I have as little as anybody (but more than the person at the helm...)

All throughout our time together, Ann has painted in both watercolors and pastels. Our house is like an art gallery which I greatly enjoy. She's a member of Barrett Art center, Kent art Association and the Northeast Watercolor Society. Her work has been accepted for juried shows at Barrett Art Center, Kent Art Association, Northeast Watercolor Society and Hudson River Watercolor Society. She has also served as Juror of Awards at Kent Art Association. Ann’s paintings are in the corporate collections of McCabe and Mack, C. B. Strain and many private collections. She has studied with Mel Stabin, Carlton Plummer, Arne Lindmark, Franklin Alexander, Christine Debrowsky, Linda Novack and Artie Johansen.

She paints landscapes of the Hudson Valley and scenes along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). In recent years she has worked mainly in pastels on our boat Fleetwing, a Beneteau 423 sailboat while cruising the last seven years from New York to Key West and back every winter. Ann accepts commissions as well as offering her paintings for private sale.
Contact: 423sail@gmail.com

Samples of her most recent works:

Tropical Sunset  8 x 12

One of the great joys of the ICW are the beautiful sunsets, best viewed from the cockpit while sipping wine. 

3 Palms

You start seeing palms around South Carolina. I have always marveled at how they could be so tall on such a skinny trunk. I guess flexibility is the key. 

Marshland  12 x 16

The marshlands start in South Carolina and continue on to Florida. Passing through such an area you can see boats going in all directions since the passage is very winding.

Autumn  6 x 9

In our backyard in New York we have lots of sugar maples, they have very bright colors in the fall. 

Day's End  11 x 16

We just cannot avoid taking photos of sunsets and Ann likes to paint them in pastels.

Clematis  8 x 16

Another pastel of flowers from our backyard in New York

Marshland #2  8 x 9

Sometimes the water looks inviting for anchoring but you'd better not try, very shallow usually

Storm Brewing  8 x 12

"Red sky at night, sailor's delight, red sky at morning, sailor take warning" For a sunrise, a red sky can predict a storm 

Palm  6 x 9

They are very graceful when they sway in the wind, and it's how they survive storms, they go with the flow. I've seen very few palms uprooted, I currently can't think of even one example in seven years of cruising the ICW. 

Sunset Blues  8 x 6

Not all sunsets are bright red, some are rather subdued but still pleasant to view at anchor

Summer Beauties  12 x 12

We do spend the summer up north and usually cruise Long Island Sound. This is another pastel from our backyard

The Hammock  11 x 17

A hammock is a parcel of land that's slightly higher than the surrounding area, usually a marsh. It's just high enough to allow hardwood trees to keep their roots dry enough to survive. 

Last Light  13 x 20

As the light fades, it's time for dinner down below.

Towards Evening  13 x 17

The sun sets behind trees in our backyard and gives interesting lighting on the hardwoods

Sunset #3  6 x 9

We never tire of the sunsets on the ICW

Maine Rock  11 x 16.5

Before we started cruising the ICW, we spent three summers in Maine. It's our favorite area to sail. It has great places to anchor and the wind is dependable, coming up every day around 11:00 am. The scenery is breathtaking. 

Wahoo River Anchorage  13 x 20

The sunset was so bright it didn't look real. We stared in awe. 

Black-Eyed Susans  8 x 10

From our backyard

Sunset #4  4 x 10

Catching the colors just right is a task. The photo here doesn't do the pastel justice

Last Snow  12 x 16

We used to spend the winters up north but no more. I like the way Ann has the water going back into the pastel, it looks like it's receding. 

Last Light  12 x 16

Ann's farewell pastel on another day on the ICW