logo.gif (3909 bytes)Boat People Paintings

 

Tom took a vacation to the Bahamas. At the time Tom was studying Winslow Homer and the news was about some people who tried to make it to the US from Cuba. Instead of repainting the scenes of Homer he decided to paint the boat people, relying on his own experience at sea.

http://balseros.miami.edu is the go to place for information on the Cuban Rafters.

Boat People IX, 14" x 11", pencil on paper, 1992

This is the pencil on the final paper before watercoloring. Most of the pencil is removed with a kneable eraser after the first inking of the major outlines with a middle tone. 4 hours were needed to work up the drawing. Everything is done in your head as you try to make the figures come alive without stretching what is possible.

Boat People VII, 14" x 11", watercolor on paper, 1992

This is a finished watercolor. Tom uses three lines weights of line and three shades of each color to create form. It is a manner he derived from his study of Thomas Rowlandson, an English watercolorist from the 1800's.

Homer Revisited, 14" x 11", watercolor on paper, 1992

Here Tom replaced the other black man in Winslow Homer's work with a woman. He was working in Hopetown, Bahamas at the time.

Boat People VIII, 14" x 11", watercolor on paper, 1992

This is a finished watercolor from his "Boat People" series. Tom considers this work his best in the series. His wife hangs over the side sick. Tom discovered later that the boat would normally be packed to the gills with people.

Boat People I, 5-1/2" x 3-1/2", watercolor on paper, 1992, study for Boat People VII

Boat People III, I5-1/2" x 3-1/2", watercolor on paper, 1992, study for Boat People VII   

Boat People IIV, 5-1/2" x 3-1/2", watercolor on paper, 1992, study for Boat People VII   

Boat People IV5-1/2" x 3-1/2", watercolor on paper, 1992, study for Boat People VII  Painted while vacationing in Hopetown Bahamas