Framed oil painting

36 x 24 (image size), oil on canvas

The Heritage ~From the artist’s personal collection!

One of my paintings, The Heritage, has been in our personal collection from the beginning.  It has never been for sale until now.

While building our new home in Williamsburg back in 2002, we decided we wanted to have one of my ship paintings over what would be our new mantel in our family room to remind us of Maine (where we had just moved from).  The wall space above the mantel was going to be 15+ feet tall so we knew the work needed to be a strong vertical piece.  

I wanted to paint something specifically for our new space.  I had designed the mantel and surrounding bookcases and cabinets, so why not create a painting that would finish off the room and make us feel at home?

The Heritage schooner sails out of Rockland Harbor, in Rockland, Maine.  It was built in the 1983, but was designed with many of the classic elements and lines of the historic Maine schooners in mind.  It is a grand looking schooner, one of the most beautiful sailing ships on the Penobscot Bay sailing today.  

I had painted it a number of times already, including one painting entitled On the Wind, in which I spent countless hours painting the ship’s bow from close-up, racing toward the viewer.  

Since our wall required a strong vertical piece, I thought why not this time paint the entire ship from the top of the Heritage flagpole down to the waterline of the ship?

I also wanted to capture the Maine waters, and include two other favorite Maine schooners, the J. & E. Riggin and the American Eagle.  

Upon completion of the 36”x 24” oil painting we decided to go all out with the frame.  We wanted to pick a frame that would add to the grandness of the ship, and help create a strong focal point in our family room, drawing one into the room.  

At the time, Williamsburg had a master framer, one who specialized in high-end frames.  With his help we picked out a hand carved wooden liner with roping and added that to an already substantial ornate frame.  The frame combination worked perfectly with the colors in the water and with our room’s décor.  

For years now we have enjoyed having The Heritage hanging over our mantel.  It reminds us every day of our wonderful time spent living in Maine and being out on the Bay.