Sunday, March 14, 2021

Sticking my neck out


In an earlier post I mentioned that our voyage through the Bahamas in 1976 met all the requirements of sailing and painting on the preverbal shoe string. By the time we had reached Green Turtle Cay we were penniless. In desperation I tried my luck with a collection of my sketches at the hotel above the anchorage. My confidence was at a low ebb when I reached the entrance. I was about to turn back when I noticed a sign saying, "A turtle only makes progress by sticking its neck out". 

As luck would have it, one of the guests remembered my work from the BVI and by sticking my neck out I sold four paintings. Confidence restored! 

Today's painting dates from those early days. The scene was a short deserted walk away from my studio which was nothing more than a shack on the shore of an idyllic cove. My boat was anchored in the crystal-clear waters of the reef-fringed cove with a handful of others. The cove is now a crowded marina surrounded by hotels and restaurants and the short walk now leads to the private grounds of palatial residences. My paradise was alas, ripe for development.

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