Around the same time I'd been exploring the shore of Lake Superior and photographing its impressive cliffs, I was reading about the early commercial fishermen of this area, much of which is wilderness, and about how they had to venture out in all kinds of weather because their nets had to be hauled in within three days or all would be lost. This all came together in a painting for a competition by a local philanthropist to furnish the high school with a permanent art gallery.
I knew I wanted a powerful design; I wanted nature to be overpowering, people small in scale. I knew I had to be careful not to lose that feeling of power with a weak painting. But I also wanted the painting to be atmospheric. As I thought about how to accomplish these goals, I decided on a dramatic winter scene, the mighty cliffs along the shore craggy and snow-covered and the water rough, with a menacing, hard-edged chop.
After doing research on commercial fishing circa 1890, I changed the boat with the help of old photos from the Marquette Maritime Museum, provided by Frank Smith. The cliff immediately behind the boat was made lighter and softer to showcase the fisherman. This was done by first carefully wetting the area and then lifting the color with a soft toothbrush. [further technical details - see How to Make Watercolor Paint Itself]
- Nita Engle
