Description

As always, on this day Dad was moved by extremes. The big boat, the small ones, and that Big Red Sky.

The color contrasts are likewise big. Notice how magnificently he captured the soft sun on the rowboats, the water texture, the water reflections, and of course the big deep blue of the boat against that Big Red Sky.

And there is the wonderful perspective, leading our eyes, first from the rowboats to the big boat; then from the big boat to the distant tug, the shore - and again that Big Red Sky.

Even though the rowboat in this painting is tagged with "Kings Point", which suggests it is of the Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy, we know this piece was created in Brooklyn from one of its many piers along the East River.

For Dad, in 1962, the Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy in New York was not easily accessible, because his only modes of transportation were the subway or walking, and neither could get him close to that facility. Moreover, we know the vessels from the Kings Point Merchant Marines Academy did in fact visit the Brooklyn piers, where Dad often ventured.

Whatever the actual location, the immense beauty of this work is inescapable. It is a magnet for my mind's eye, filled with drama, fire, and wonder.

Dad journeyed out daily as an explorer in a new land in an endless quest to find special places that excited him. He loved boats, water, skylines, and extremes, and the city was brimming with all of it and more.

On this day, over 60 years ago, Dad found his spot. He reflected on a stunning moment, and the Big Red Sky. ❤️

Through My Father's Eyes