Artist and subject meet for the first time

Last June, when my husband Steven received his copy of the Ash Breeze: Journal of the Traditional Small Craft Association, the painting featured here in my blip was the cover of that issue. Steven did not even notice right away that he was the main subject of the cover. That is Steven above, sailing the melonseed boat that my dad hand built. Steven recognized other boats first, then himself with a shock! Someone must have been taking photographs at a TSCA race and used one to paint Steven sailing. Now it was the cover of a journal! This boat and the other boats we recognized were entered in the Traditional Small Craft Association Race in Cortez, Florida on April 17, 2010. See the actual Cover art and read more about how this happened!

There was an article inside the issue about the artist, Bob Semler and Steven wrote to Bob after receiving the issue to let him know that he was the subject of his cover art painting! And as you may have guessed from my title, Bob Semler came out to visit Lucas Boatworks recently. Steven had encouraged him to come out anytime. Bob even brought the original painting with him and we got to see it in person. That's Bob on the left and Steven on the right holding the painting of Steven sailing the melonseed called Windancer, between them. In 2010 my dad was alive and in fact both of us were at the Cortez race cheering Steven on.

Finding Steven on the cover of a Traditional small craft journal was like a dream, especially because we did not know anything about it and did not recognize it right away. Bob worked from a photo and did not know he was painting Steven and the melonseed! Then, having Bob come to the boatshop and meet us, have him show us the painting in person which is much bigger in real life than the journal cover . . . . well, that was really like a circle completed. Thank you, Bob.

We are all given ingredients of happiness, but the mixing is left to ourselves.
~ Ethel M. Dell