Wellfleet, Last Dead Boat
Text Box: One of the things I’ve always loved about Duck Creek in Wellfleet, Massachusetts is the derelict boats that were everywhere. I’m sure they were never good for the environment but I had nothing to do with putting them there or keeping them around. I just admired the weathered beauty of them. I think of this one as the last dead boat because it lasted so long.   In 1982 I did a really detailed drawing of this boat from the front. That drawing is in Chapter 11. It always struck me that there’s an entirely different vibe from the different angles of this scene. The version I like the best is the detailed front version cut out and merged with a background from Barnstable. When I did the original of that one I was so taken by the weathered wood and curves that I didn’t draw any background. It took a long time for me to realize that the drawing really needed to be placed somewhere. There wasn’t nearly as much drama in this angle so I drew the background. Of course I should always include backgrounds. A few years earlier I did a really quick sketch from the side, with no background, and eventually thought that it had been bought by the New Yorker. They had really accepted a different drawing but I brought them the original of the one I thought I sold them. I didn’t find out until much later and never went back for the original drawing.

All material copyright 2016 Neil Borrell

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Text Box: Email neil@borrellcompany.com

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