Whale Ship Essex

What Should we do!!

November 20, 1820

Trust me!  If you were on this little whaler (small boat with sail), you would be asking the same question.  

This Painting will be shipped  Monday to Nantucket Country, Nantucket, MA. 

Recently, I read a little about the whale ship Essex.  I have never been able to get thru the book MOBY DICK, so I felt it was  high time to at least read a few lines about this famous ship to see what all the hype is and was about.  I found the little "reader's digest" version (actually Wikipedia)  to be very entertaining.

Here's what I found over the internet.  The whale that rammed the boat ESSEX, actually struck it two times, the second time being the fatal blow. This ship sunk so fast, that it made their eyes swim…literally.  There were some eye witness accounts  that said  the whale was actually about 85-feet long.  This is at least 20-feet longer than these guys were known to grow.  The sailor's reference point for this fact was the Essex Ship, itself.  Apparently, the whale after hitting it the first time, sort of parked itself directly beside the ship but under the water. He was quite obviously stunned from the blow.  Because it was so close to the surface, it was clearly seen.  It was said that the whale from head to toe was as long as the essex which was nearly 90-feet in length.  

The captain ordered the men NOT TO HARPOON it. Why would he do this?  Well, it was mainly due to the fact that he believed the whale to be too close to the ship's hull and that it would possibly hit the ship again in reaction to the harpooning.  Obviously, he made the wrong call.  

They were all in disbelief as the whale swam away only to return with a speed of 20-25 knots.  His blow proved to be more than this ship could handle.  Most of the men met a watery grave.  There were some survivors, though, witnesses that escaped in the whale boats that were onboard the ship.  

Here you can see that the whale is nearly as long as the ship. 

Special time was spent on the water.  I wanted the whale to have a a prominence without actually being  on top of the water, as I usually depict the whales.  This painting has a lot of blue in it.  Having said that, this painting is totally Nantucket.  Nantucket has all the warm pine floors and beams and nautical pieces that will compliment this painting and bring  in the warm tones that will totally balance it.  The houses on Nantucket with their shake cedar siding and roof tops are AMAZING! Thought went into the piece to compliment the tale long ago without presenting anything that was clearly incorrect.  I am sure that there will be that one person that will prove me wrong.  Go for it.  

Today, before I pass this painting off to the next person, I present to you this piece in its entirety.  While you are looking at Nantucket Country's website, check out all the other paintings of mine that she has in stock.  If you want my original work, this is a good place to find it because I do not do a lot of retail shows.  The show in Bedminster, PA (I blogged about it last week), is the only retail outlet I do.  Nantucket Country's gallery presents an avenue where collectors can do what they do…collect.  

Thanks for looking!  

Enjoy! 

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Mermaid sitting on a Barrel of RUM! YUM!

She was THE PROPERTY OF SAILOR JACK! 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/208119972/whimsical-kolene-spicher-mermaid-sitting?

Sailor Jack is on the Rock! 

This is the Untrimmed original

This painting was formatted for a beautiful long frame that I felt a mermaid or a whale would go great in.  But there's an issue with the frame, it's not wide enough; and I sort of hate to cut off her tail…  This is one of those times that I could use a little advice.  

When I was in Atlanta, GA this last month, I went to a little restaurant that is situated beneath the Hilton Hotel in Atlanta.   Many of you probably have never heard of it; it's called Trader VIC's.  It is an Hawaiian Style restaurant specializing in the most amazing dishes and drinks.  There are only two left in the United States.  One is in downtown Atlanta and the other is…I'm not sure where, maybe Hawaii or California.  Nevertheless, my trip to Atlanta for the gift show is not complete without a stop at Trader Vic's.  This mermaid is in memory of this restaurant that I love.  

According to Trader Vic, Rum played an important part in molding empires (Don't ask me how).  Vic has some great drinks to show for it, too.  I like the Mai Tai and their Mohito!  I think this barrel of rum makes for an interesting painting.  Having my mermaid sit upon it is just funny. 

My favorite part of this mermaid is her hair.  

Mermaids have to have beautiful hair.  It is required in the code.  

Lastly, here she is in the pretty walnut frame.  If you think I should not cut her tail off or if you think it is okay, let me know your thoughts (if you feel like it).  She will be for my fall show!  I posted about it a few days ago! 

Here it is in the frame that I ultimately chose! 

Enjoy! 

Kolene Spicher 

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Bedminster Traditional Artisan Show

Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, PA 

Presents The Bedminster Traditional Artisan Show on 

 September 20 and 21, 2014  

FILL OUT FORM ON THE RIGHT FOR 2 FREE PASSES. 

Each year I try to pick a venue where I will present my original work for sale.  Many of you know that I exhibit prints for the trade in New York, Atlanta, and High Point.   HOWEVER, My original hand-painted pieces are a little harder to find and purchase.  This is because I am not doing many retail shows.   For about a half a year I have been painting for this upcoming September show, and can't wait to debut my stashed away paintings on this blog and at the show! As they say…stay tuned!!   

This will be my third time to do this show.  Each time was better than the last and the overall quality of this show is really exceptional.  My home is filled with one-of-a-kind pieces of art that I have collected over the past 23 years--many of which I have purchased from this group of craftsmen.   Pieces like this are what make your home distinct.  If you like artwork, you need to attend this event.  

www.bedminstertraditionalartisanshow.com

Map with  star indicating where the Show will take place.

Here are a few of the pieces that I have sold this past year...

Coffee table piece with three paintings.  There is also a ship on the reverse! 

Ship Portrait Featured in Antique Frame 

This is a portion of another painting that I believe had a mermaid featured. 

Love flags.  

Portraits of Children always are a good seller for me. 

I featured this painting in Atlanta this last month for our showroom.  The original sold at the end of this
Bedminster Show. 

"She was singing a new song"…was written in the water! 

People love my mermaids.  (This particular painting went to Nantucket Country).  For those who do not know about this store, they are located on Nantucket and sell my work along with many other one of a kind pieces--including, antique quilts, sailor's valentines, hooked rugs, and nautical antiques! 

There's a Blogger Comment area to the right that if you fill this out with your mailing address I will mail to you a pass that will provide entrance for 2 people for FREE.

If you live in the Buck's County area of Pennsylvania or New York City or even Connecticut and want to attend, let me know.  I will see that you get a ticket until I run out of them.

Hope to see you there!!
Kolene Spicher

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St. John's Lutheran Church

Public Buildings make interesting paintings 

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Boiling Springs 

There's a small town not very far from where I live that I have always been fascinated with.  It has all the charm of a New England town but is right around the corner!  LOVE IT!  There's a tavern there, too, that I love to visit.  It serves a very hearty delicious meal and is well worth a trip.  It is called Boiling Springs Tavern.  Make a reservation!  

Back to the painting...The stone fruit placed beside the painting help the viewer to understand the size.  It's not very big!  Perfect for a little hallway or beside a doorway. 

When I was deciding wether I wanted to blog about this picture, I had to laugh at the little title above my signature that I included on the painting.  It is called Arriving Early. This is too funny.  I am seldom on time and wonder why I included that.  Wishful thinking, perhaps... 

Closeup of St.  John's

Public buildings are always beautiful, and this church is no exception.  Lots of money collectively goes a long way in keeping the brick and slate in tact.  With the cost of all brick buildings today, it is not surprising that churches and courthouses are made with the most beautiful materials.  

This church is quaint and sits within the borders of Boiling Springs.  This is a reproduction of what it would have looked like long ago had it not been developed.  Call it a portrait!

Cumberland County 

Cumberland County is a very important county in Pennsylvania.  It is home of many interesting sites, including the Army War College and Dickinson College.  Downtown Carlisle is only a few miles away and is the closest major town to Boiling Springs.  Many roads join in this little county.  Because of this it is a major connection point to the Northeast and Western parts of our country. 

Antique Gold Leafed frame

The frame is not in perfect condition but is not obvious from the front view.  It is missing some of the gold plaster veneer on the side bottom of the frame.  Despite this, it's a good choice for this little piece because it allows the painting to shine and stand out.  I am going to be posting this to my Etsy Store and is for sale if you are interested.  

Enjoy!

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Paintings of Eyes!

EYEWEAR for the Home!

Eye know it's outlandish, but I love the idea of hanging a big eye somewhere.  A bedroom or a bathroom or an optocian's office--this is just different and in a crazy sort of way.

At Spicher and Co., we like to create things that are just a little bit off the charts and over the top when it comes to artwork.  A few years back we decided that eye charts made for some cool graphics, now we introduce some illustrations of the human eye with an emphasis on the false eyelashes! 

The eye chart is totally cool, so I thought it would be neat to add to and develope this collection.  

I am at the Atlanta AMERICASMART where we show and sell the prints that are developed for Spicher and Company. 

You can see the four eyes that I developed on the wall along with another different sort of eye chart that is leaning on the wall beside my son Ian. Also new, coincidentally, is the moon phases. I will save that for another day.  

The eyes wouldn't be complete without a chart of the different false eye lashes, which I happen to think is beautiful but am unsure how to use them.  Ha! This green eye below makes me feel jealous. I wish my eyes were that color and the lashes are enviable, too!  JK

Blue as the sky...LOVE THIS TOO.  I am not sure how I would hang these prints yet.  I'm looking forward to seeing how my customer display them.  Suggestions always welcome.  

The little accessories are also cute!  I think they would look sweet in a powder room!  

Thank you for looking today!  You can see these and all prints here in Atlanta if you are a buyer with credentials to operate a resale business.  Or simply go to www.spicherandco.com. 

Enjoy! 

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