My Walls Are Empty
Mar 24 2023
And they are off! I have sent off my latest works to my local gallery. It is great to see them hanging on their walls. And that makes room for me to work on my next pieces.
Depths of Teal and Foamy Shallows
30” x 15” Oil
Dancing Light at Split Rock
30” x 15” Oil
St. Martins Autumn Marsh
30” x 20” Oil
Do I have a favourite? Absolutely!
Resting in Dappled Light
30” x 20” Oil
Resting in Dappled Light is of a characterful old tug moored near St. Andrews. As soon as I saw her, I knew that I would paint The T.B. McClintic. I loved her lines, the aged patina of her hull, and the way the light danced across her form as she rested along the shore.
According to the National Registry of Historic places, the T. B. McClintic was built in 1932 by the Bath Iron Works for the U.S. Public Health Services as a quarantine boarding vessel to transport doctors to treat sick seamen. She was based at the Baltimore Quarantine Station.
The US Public Health Services named the tug in recognition of Thomas B. McClintic, a graduate of Virginia Medical School. In 1911, the 38-year-old McClintic performed research and discovered a cure for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Montana. McClintic, however, contracted the disease and died the following year.
In 1961, the T.B. McClintic was rechristened as the Atlantic IV and began her new career as a fireboat in the service of the City of Wilmington, NC. Among her duties performed, there is a notable account of the Atlantic IV being tasked with the sinking of the USS North Carolina. This was achieved by pumping seven tons of water per minute, six hours a day over thirty days into the hull of the battleship.
Despite the affection the city held for the tug, she outlived her usefulness as a fireboat and was sold out of the service in 1985. Over the course of several years and a few different owners, the tug underwent some impressive changes. It was redesigned internally as a personal vessel. Early upgrades included a hot tub, fireplace, aquarium, and even a spiral staircase.
The boarding tug remains a curiosity as it is the sole survivor of its type. I welcome any further information on this lovely tug.
The artwork can be seen at:
12 King Street
Saint John, NB Canada
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._B._McClintic_(boarding_tug)
