Limited Edition portrait of Quetzal is now available.
I bought Quetzal 17 years ago and launched John Kretschmer Sailing shortly afterwards. We have taken hundreds of people to sea, logged countless miles, sharing adventures and stories along the way. Most of you know how Tadji and I feel about Quetzal. We love her in a way that makes land people uncomfortable. She’s been a workhorse, a sea going thoroughbred. She’s certainly one of the most well traveled sailboats of all time, pressing on through storms and calms, tirelessly crossing oceans year after year.
We are incredibly excited to announce that our friend and shipmate, renown artist Charles Tabor, has honored her with a striking portrait in oil on canvas. It’s mounted on the main bulkhead, yes, replacing the Admiralty world chart that had been there for many years. It’s a mix of power and grace, and Quetzal is sailing free, sheets eased, making speed. The ocean is alive, stirred up from a fresh breeze and where it meets the horizon is filled with mystery and promise. The sky is vibrant, a mix of light and cloud, cautionary but beautiful. Charlie describes the painting this way, “The Quetzal portrait is painted in oil on a linen canvas. The canvas was hand stretched onto its supports by the artist. Once stretched the canvas was prepared with a neutral oil sienna ground. The painting shows Quetzal on starboard tack with full cutter rig in the deep ocean. It is designed to capture the essence of what Quetzal is—a vessel for those needing to go to sea. Notice that the painting gives no indication of whether Quetzal is heading out to see or heading into port. Also, the sun is neither rising nor setting, but instead is in its midday glow. I think this goes to the heart of how I see Quetzal–in her prime with a skipper who is in tune with the sea and who is making passages for a living.”
Charlie and I have decided to offer a limited edition of 50 archival quality, signed and numbered giclee prints with certificates of authenticity signed by both of us. These 16 x 24 inch canvas prints are of the highest possible quality. They are printed with archival ink on acid free canvas. The canvas is a 23 mil thickness. Archival life is 75 plus years. They will also have a UV spray on them to protect them. The Quetzal portrait will be a beautiful addition to any collection. The cost is $500. They will be shipped fully stretched and ready for framing. If you contact us promptly, we can still ship before Christmas. The cost of shipping, which varies upon location will be extra.
About the Artist:
Charles Tabor is a self-taught Louisiana based artist. He paints in oils. The focus of his work is light. His paintings are an exercise in how light interacts with form and color. Taking inspiration from old masters such as Rembrandt and Velazquez, Charles seeks to push light to its realistic extremes, drawing the eye to and away from the objects in his painting. His paintings have been juried into numerous shows and hung in museums in the U.S. Charlie is refreshingly humble and describes his development as an artist like this, “I have spent the last nine years just chipping away and trying to master the small skills it takes to be a good artist. I now focus on oil painting, though I also dabble with pencil drawing. The focus of my paintings are simply the things that catch my interest. It could be a jar, a bowl, a person, or a horizon. For me, painting is a quick break from an otherwise loud and hectic world (much like sailing).”