Naming paintings has never come natural to me, it always seems laborious but I feel satisfied about "The Humble Trapper". This image is based on a photo I took in Chatham harbor down the cape of a Cod fisherman returning from a bad day at sea. I was taking pictures of the harbor at sunrise and I heard the tired paddle of this defeated oarsman. It wasn't even 7am and this poor old salt already had a bad day.
I snapped a few photos of him hoping he wouldn't notice and without looking at me he said, "I would have said yes if you asked me". I immediately felt small like a cheap paparazzi. That's when my mouth opened and I replied, "I'm gonna make you a star"...I hated myself even more, what a tool, I think I was trying to be funny and diffuse the tension,...nice one Todd! I was nails on a chalkboard ruining the serenity of a placid Chatham sunrise. He did warm up and tell me how horrible his fishing was.
In my painting I made him a lobster man and added an old trap in the back of the boat. His reflection in the water will be key to the success of the finish I think. He's slowly rowing back to shore with an empty trap, looking back to the sea reflecting on the absence of his catch and maybe thinking about tommorow. This under paintng is raw umber on a gessoed wood panel that I glazed with a warm acrylic wash.
