House Warming Gift

Here is a photo of a house warming gift that I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams.  It is an oil painting of Pachuca approaching Cape Horn, painted in Vancouver BC by Gary, one of the most interesting men that I have ever met, and a very successful landscape artist.

When my friends Nigel and Patrick visited my house last year as I was beginning the restoration work they talked about having Gary create a painting of Pachuca approaching Cape Horn and we even discussed where it could be mounted.  They returned to their home in Vancouver, BC, Canada and soon asked me for a photograph of Pachuca sailing downwind.  I had trouble finding such a photo because it must be one taken from another boat.  Months passed before I noticed a photo of Pachuca in Brenda's hallway, taken by a fellow sailor during one of the club cruises into Geographe Bay.  That was all that Gary needed and before I knew it Nigel and Patrick notified me that the painting was on the way.

Mounted on Wood Paneling of Dining Room

The painting arrived superbly packaged and in perfect condition and soon I took it to a professional picture framer - also named Gary - in Midland.   Gary was captivated by the story behind the painting.  I took him a copy my circumnavigation story in the sailing club's magazine and he immediately recognized the photo of Bob Kucera, the commodore, as he shook my hand.

Brenda and I had visited the shop with a dark frame in mind and Gary demonstrated to us how a dark frame would outline the painting nicely, but at the at the cost of detracting from the boat, which should be be the outstanding feature of the painting.  A light frame definitely made the boat the center of attention. We then settled on the simple light frame shown in the photo.

The painting depicts Pachuca very accurately to the smallest detail and it captures the lively sea very well.  OK fellow sailors, I didn't actually get that close to the Horn, and the boat was not running in quite that configuration, but those are minor details well within the tolerance of artistic license.  For me it will always be a vivid reminder of my final dash to the Horn, painted by a wonderful artist whom I know personally and respect hugely.