He Reached For It

Every year “Cap” Rolly Gray’s daughter paints up Tida Wave for Regatta. She’s always white (the boat of course) but the name and other decoration vary. Some years the name is on the transom and some, like here, on the side. There might be a spray-painted tidal wave painted at the cutwater. One year she even mis-named the boat Tidal Wave until a hail of protest got it the “L” outa there.
The purchaser of “He Reached For It” is a retired elementary school art teacher who herself never had any children. But her love for children and her love for art, but more poignantly her love for BEAUTY, are instantly transparent. She has had every operation done upon her eyes that’s possible. Seven times on one eye and five on the other. But at age 80 she is resigned to the fact that she’s going blind. She said to Art that it was her wish to see and store up in her mind as much visual beauty as possible before she cannot see, can only remember.
If Art Paine had heard that whole truthful story BEFORE she gladly bought the work, she wouldn’t have had to actually pay for it. This is an exciting painting. It is a blast of color, and the artist hopes that it isn’t evident that those colors were combined with some consideration of classical “color theory” as much as for photographic accuracy. He is reaching for it on a wall in a beautiful cape-style house with a gorgeous view of Port Clyde, Maine. A view she sees less and less of every day.
It was vital that he leave hold of the mast and extend his efforts just a few more inches, daring the angle of heel and the slick, wet foredeck.. But did he ever actually get it???