New Bakery Installation! (...and the large scale challenge)

In August of 2014, a series was commissioned by the owner of the Cornwall Bakery in Grosse Pointe Park, MI. Having enjoyed being part of the rowing team in college, he asked that I create something special for a wall in his soon-to-open bakery.I brought over a medium-size canvas to get an idea of scale, to find that it looked like a postage stamp on this huge empty wall that he had...somewhere along the lines of 14' ceilings! Well, now. This calls for a GIANT canvas, or a series of huge-ish canvases. We agreed to go huge-ish. So what if I've not made anything that large before. I'm not...[gulp]...intimidated!!

He kindly took myself and a (ridiculously) talented amateur photographer friend, Yvonne, down to the Detroit Boating Club on Belle Isle during a rowing practice day, where we were invited to peruse the skulling boats and equipment for some good inspiration. Some newer equipment and some vintage equipment provided plenty.

Ultimately, we chose these three vignettes of paddle, a vintage boat head and shoes. Remember that ridiculously talented photog friend? She took the shots that captured these views best. Naturally. Did you know that the rowing shoes are permanently mounted to the boat, and rowers tie themselves in for extra "push"? Me neither!

They now hang in the bakery as my largest pieces to date, each in acrylics on 30"x40" gallery-wrapped canvases, titled "Rowing Series: Vintage".

It was so much fun watching them evolve as I painted. Many thanks to Cornwall Bakery for commissioning me for this job! It has inspired me to create more in a boating series to come.

If you are in the Grosse Pointe area, you should really check out their European-style pastries and espresso drinks. They also do lunch items and catering. Find them on Facebook and for more on the chef, Freeman Gunnell, freemangunnell.com.

#publicinstallations