What I Learned from Painting this Boat

This blue boat catches my eye as I explore an island in Maine. It's beached at an odd angle above the high tide line. Not far away, a flock of birds gathers on the wires. As I paint the picture, I answer your questions about the gouache technique, the overcast light, and the composition. But I still wonder about the story of the sailboat, so I ask my friend Clayton Bright, who lives nearby, to…