Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Happy Canada Day!

Will Davies created this limited edition print of the Canada II before the actual racing yacht was built.


"I'd seen a similar painting done by Bob Heindel and wanted to try something like that." says Will.

The idea originally came from a friend and client, art director Bob McGee, who suggested that the two men do the print as a business venture in advance of the 1987 America's Cup yacht racing series.

"I used photos of the Canada I," Will told me, "and the Captain of the Canada II came out to my studio and explained how all the rigging and so on should be strung."

"There were no shots with people on board, so I had to make up all the figures."

Will remembers Bob McGee moving out West to do paintings of horses not long after this venture. "Bob loved horses and knew everything about them."

The Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto purchased the original painting... but the prints, unfortunately, did not sell well. "I still have a bunch of them here at the house," chuckles Will.

* My Will Davies Flickr set.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:27 PM

    Hahaha. Great post! Happy Canada Day to you too!

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  2. I'd like to get one of those prints. I love it.

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  3. Hi Leif,
    Maybe you could take orders for Will and help him get rid of those prints!

    Great painting, eh!

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  4. Anonymous5:37 PM

    Nice spectacular view from a helicopter.
    There were no helicopters in Edwin Georgi's times and he probably would have added some half-tones here in the blue-orange contrast.

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  5. you blog is always inspiring. thanks for sharing

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