Watercolor painting of a schooner in Portland Harbor (Maine) sailing past the Portland Observatory on Munjoy Hill.
This painting depicts the schooner Bagheera sailing past Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine’s harbor about to take a tour of Casco Bay. The Bagheera is owned and operated by the Portland Schooner Company. It was built in 1924 for a private owner in Rhode Island and eventually wound up in Portland, Maine. Despite being 101 years old, she is still taking tourists on sailing trips around Casco Bay.
In the background is the Munjoy Hill neighborhood, also known as the East End. The building that looks like a lighthouse on top of the hill is actually the only remaining maritime observatory still standing in the U.S. It was built in 1807. It’s function was to alert dock workers which sailing merchant vessles were approaching, thus speeding up the unloading and reloading of the ships.
I live near the Observatory and go walking on the waterfront as often as I can. At least once a Summer I ride one of the Casco Bay ferries so I can enjoy being out on the water. The reference photos for this painting were taken during one of those ferry rides in 2014.
I’m glad I painted this when I did because the two large brick warehouse buildings near the water on the right side of the painting have since been torn down.
Original Painting
The orginal painting of Schooner and Portland Observatory is done on 18×24 inch panel. It was painted with a technique of using multiple watercolor washes over a detailed pencil drawing.
The orignial painitng is available for sale. Please contact me for more information about purchasing.
Purchase Schooner and Portland Observatory Prints
Custom framed prints, canvas prints, metal prints, and other products featuring the painting, The Wave Watchers, are available at my print site, https://fineartnewengland.pixels.com/.