Free Rein

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I like to paint series of subject matter. This oil is one of four 16 x 8 yachts that I painted for Horton Hayes Fine Art Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina. Horton Hayes has represented me for perhaps 18 years. My home town, Opua, is in the Bay of Islands in the Far North of New Zealand's North Island. There are 144 islands total, some being rocky outcrops and a couple with a few occupants. It is a mecca for sailing enthusiasts. Many local friends have boats and will spend a few days out on the water, anchoring overnight in sheltered bays. I was sailing with friends out on the bay when I saw this yacht as it was leaving New Zealand for the Islands. But nowadays, I only sail when the sea is like a duck pond. There is nothing worse than being seasick.