Quick Boat

This is a quick fun little sketch that I did of the boat that sits behind us in our marina. The piece was fun to do because it was loose and fast with quick splashes of paint...something I'd like to do more of.

Drying Out

Drying out is a sketch of a Chicago Mac racing sailboat that limped into Frankfort, Michigan and the marina we were staying at. The boat had suffered a line wrapped 'round its rudder and a furling line ripped from the mast. The damage was the result of very bad weather on Lake Michigan during the night of July 15.

The boat was parked in a slip next to us to do repairs and dry out the crew's foul weather gear. It was one of over 300 boats competing in the annual race up Lake Michigan to Mackinac Island, a distance of 333 miles. The boat was 1 of 5 that limped into Frankfort due to blown out sails, equipment damage, injuries, and illness. The boat also numbered as one of more than 100 boats that dropped from this year's race due to punishing Lake Michigan weather.

As one who periodically takes part in cross Lake Michigan races, my heart goes out to all the crews who took part in this year's Mac race. It was a tough one.

Arcadia House

This is an old house that's a half block up from the marina in Arcadia, Michigan. I did the sketch while we were staying in Arcadia on our boat. I've sketched the house several times over the years. It's falling apart, abandoned, only the lawn is mowed or it would be over grown. I talked to a couple of people about the house, one while I was working on the sketch, both said at one time they thought they'd buy the house and fix it up. Unfortunately the dreams went and the house will soon be beyond repair.