Observation, Memory, llllagination by Joseph McGurl
T
he coastal realm holds a continually re newing fasc ination fo r me. W hile the subjects of my painting vary fro m the Ari zona deserts to No rthern Cali fo rn ia and Euro pe, I always return to the New England shoreline, the pl ace to which I am most deeply connected and
where I feel most emoti onally charged. I spent my yo uth swimming, sailing, and exploring the islands and bays in the wa ters around Bosto n harbor. O ur fa mily always had an assortment of small boats. In college, my brother and I bought an old wooden yawl in quite rough shape, and,
with a liberal dose of Git Rot and our limited funds, we got her sailing again. Later I wo rked for a period of time as a yac ht captain sailing from M aine to the Caribbean. Fo r the past several years, I've been cruisin g th e New England coas t on my down eas t crui ser,Atelier, which I use as a fl oating studio. Concurrent with my obsession with things maritime, I have known from early childhood that I wanted to become, as my fa ther was, an artist. It was inevitable that the two should become one. H owever, my paintings are not marine paintings in the classic sense of the word. As marine art authority Russ Jinishian has noted previously in this publication, marine has "grown to embrace wider and diverse treatm ents." My work falls into this category. I must have a personal and interactive conn ection with the subject I am describing. For this reason and other tech-
"Cloud Shadow, " oil, 16 x 20. This painting was the result ofa sketch made on Cuttyhunk, a small island at the end of the Elizabeth Island chain. It is noted for its superb bass fishing, which has earned that fish its lofty perch atop the steeple.
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SEA HISTORY 94, AUTUMN 2000