Lowcountry Sailing Inspiration

Sky and Sea 36x36x2 acrylic on wood panel

June was a magical month of cruising aboard Sailing Vessel Glory Days from St. Simons Island north along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. Three weeks of exploring new places and connecting with old friends inspired lots of art.

Egret 24x24 acrylic on canvas

First stop was Savannah where we docked at the Westin Hotel just across from River Street in the heart of town. Next stop was Beaufort, SC, an arty town that's been the backdrop of several movies including The Great Santini, The Big Chill, G.I. Jane,​ Forrest Gump, and Prince of Tides. I rented a studio and painted for a few days while Joe connected with local musicians and played bluegrass in the park.

I'd been to Beaufort years earlier with my son when he was just six, right after my divorce. I remember being strangely drawn to the downtown marina. I felt a mystical tug pulling at my heart whispering without words that my soulmate would be found among the sailboats. Boating was never my thing so it was odd to be drawn so strongly to the marina. In my 20's, the Coast Guard rescued me from a sinking sailboat during a nasty storm which left a bad taste for boating. Let's just say it was pretty magical sailing Glory Days into Beaufort with my sweetheart Joe at the helm and docking at that same downtown marina I'd visited so many years ago! Deja vu at it's finest.

Adding to the fun in Beaufort was connecting with friends Dick and May Spangler who I hadn't seen since our Glenn Memorial Methodist days 20+ years ago in Atlanta. The Spanglers are also sailors and we'd continue to meet up all along this journey.

I highly recommend Beaufort and hope to return to soak up more of the cool art vibes!

As we continued sailing north, tired and ready to drop anchor for the evening, we cut a corner too tight and ran aground. That's sailor speak for ramming the bottom and getting stuck. I was terrified until I realized we'd soon be sitting in an inch of water! The worst of it was waiting hours for the tide to come in and lift us off the bottom. Sleeping was a challenge with the boat leaning sharply causing me to roll off the mattress and wedge into the hard hull of the boat. Below is a silly little video taken right after our little mishap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3S_3BzvJ8s

Charleston did not disappoint. As luck would have it Spoleto, a huge international music and art festival, was in full swing. We caught a great concert by Old Crow Medicine Show playing under the stars and live oaks at College of Charleston. We had a wonderful visit with Berry College friend Carolyn Smith Gearns and her husband Jack at their beautiful Isle of Palms beach home. The trip wound down as tropical storm Bonnie was blowing into Charleston. We added extra dock lines to Glory Days, battened her hatches then rented a car and headed home to Atlanta. Later in the summer Joe returns to pick up the boat and continue sailing north to the Chesapeake Bay.

The paintings inspired by this lowcountry trip are looking for homes now! Giclee prints are also available in a choice of sizes. Call or drop me a note for details:

sherrycook@charter.net

770 301-6133

Pelican Dreams 36x36x2 acrylic on wood panel

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