Behind the Canvas: Set Sail
Set Sail- My first canvas! This one will forever hold the most special place in my heart and not just because it was the first one.
Growing up, my grandparents had an ocean front cottage on the Connecticut shore and my parents had a small sailboat they’d sail in Long Island Sound. Many of my parents’ early days of dating and marriage were spent going out in that small, white sailboat. When my brother came along, they plopped him in the sailboat and carried on. I’m the youngest of two, so when it was just my brother to wrangle, the sailboat was still alive and voyages were still taken; however, when I came along, I’m told that it was just too difficult to try and load up the sailboat with a baby and a three year old and ensure everyone stayed in the boat the whole time. The family sailboat days ended soon after that and, instead, we opted for a classic family canoe that we docked at a nearby fish and game club on a lake. Around age eight, my brother and I ditched the canoe and instead began exploring in our own kayaks. I spent many summers paddling lakes in my bright yellow kayak and going on, what I called, “adventures”.
When my dad’s sailing days ended with the introduction of my brother and I, he changed course in his sailing endeavors and began racing model sailboats with a Connecticut model yacht club league. He would spend hours in his workshop meticulously crafting his model boats, ensuring they’d sail with precision and speed, in order to win a variety of races. His engineer brain made him quite accomplished at it too! Later on, my mom would even join him with her own model sailboat she appropriately named “Over Easy” and painted a bright shade of yellow. My dad loved his boats and we loved the joy he found in this hobby.
A few years ago, my dad passed away, but his love for the ocean was one that lives on with us. The “sails” in “Sails & Spools” is my little tribute to him & I knew I wanted to create a canvas that would subtly celebrate his love of the sea and all things sailing. Colorful sailboats sailing atop a crisp New England blue sea evoke for me the joy that my dad found when he was out sailing his boats. Every time I am by the ocean and see a sailboat out there, I think of him and smile.
Our Set Sail canvas measures 4 inches square and is hand painted on 18 mesh. You can shop it here! The photo below above shows the canvas finished by Sails & Spools Finishing (message us on instagram to inquire about finishing!). The photo below shows the canvas set in a 4 inch square Penny Linn Designs acrylic tray and displayed in our home.
