Art and Crafts on a Boat

I don’t have any electronics, so what do I do in my free time? I do art! At home, I did many art projects, mainly during school, in math class, or at recess. My teacher let me because she knew I was still paying attention. The projects I do on the boat are different from the ones I did in school. On the boat, I have all of my art supplies I need. Therefore, I can be more creative with the projects I do. For example, I can find things on the beach to use in my art projects. There are four art projects that I do the most. They are driftwood fish, shell worlds, anklets, and watercolor paintings.

Driftwood Fish

Materials: I use watercolor paint to paint the wood. I use shells and wire for fins, flippers, and eyes. I use colorful string for decoration, and glue to glue things together.

When I find a piece of driftwood, I look at it and if I see a fish, I take it back to Sargo. The pieces I use are funny shapes with twists, bumps, and holes. Once I find my wood, I create a fish based on what the driftwood looks like and the materials I have.

Shell Worlds

Materials: I use any type of clay for landscaping, and buildings. I use glue or wax for the water. For shrubs I use string, wire, and clay.

To make the shells I start with the land. Then I add any buildings, mountains, or shrubs I want. Finally, I add the water. To color the water, I mix paint in when it is still wet.

Anklets

Materials: I use colorful string to tie the chain and beads for decoration. The knots I use are the Chinese Staircase and the Daisy Chain. I learned these knots at Rockport Boat Club. You can probably find then in a decorative knots book or online.

Watercolor Paintings

Materials: The type of watercolor paint I like is Winsor Newton. I like to use water brushes. They are like a normal paintbrush, but you put water inside them. I paint on thick paper, so the water doesn’t bleed through.

Usually I paint out of my imagination or what I see around me, sometimes a combination of both. In the picture above I did both.I chose those four projects because I take what’s around me in them all. With the driftwood fish, the shell worlds, and anklets, I use things I find on the beach. For the watercolor paintings I see what’s around me and paint it. Because I live on a boat, I have more materials to choose from. I have all the time I need, I’ve got the whole world out there, and all the time in it.