Approaching Tutuila captures a moment of silence and hope on the open ocean.

The Pacific Ocean is a mirror. The rhythmic, hypnotic quality of the sea’s surface undulate in a pattern of interlocking, concentric circles creating a sense of perpetual motion. The phenomenon happens on relatively calm days when the surface is free of wind and gentle waves move the surface.

Even though the island is in view, little wind also means it is at least half a day away by sail. Crossing an ocean on sailboat requires patience. I sailed from San Francisco to New Zealand on a 40′ boat with a friend and witnessed this phenomenon multiple times. I remember them as ‘blue donut days’ they were so very fine.

Bridging the gap between realism and abstraction, the focal point, a tiny maritime landscape, grounds a sea graphic fluidity. Utilizing a full range of blues and translucent white to mimic the optical distortion one experiences when looking directly at water in constant motion. Soft clouds convey the atmospheric haze of a steamy South Pacific sky near the equator, imbuing the painting with a sense of peace, the mystery of landfall and the vastness of the journey.

Prints are available from the original photograph of the painting. Unfortunately the original painting succumbed to the ravages of the equatorial climate over the years in American Samoa where the painting was created and sold. Termites ate the stretcher bars, geckos laid eggs in the safe confine of the back of the painting, the varnish clumped, streaked and cockroaches chewed trails through the cotton canvas.

Fortunately I had taken decent photographs and with a little help from Photoshop the painting is available as prints.

Tutuila is the main island in the small chain of islands that form the United States Territory of American Samoa that lies just south of the equator in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s an amazing place with a vibrant, unique culture.