Painting of the Coulson Water Bomber or the Martin Mars
2023
45.25” x 37.25”
Acrylic on used silkscreen
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Under Your Wings

Painted from one of our family slides, the Martin Mars Bomber was a spectacle we visited on Sproat Lake for many summers. My Aunt and Uncle owned Maples Resort on the lake, and we would stay a few days each year in their cabins.

We would boat out to these massive planes where they lived on the lake, on Vancouver Island. They are like celebrities, real superheroes of our past. My family knew the Coulson’s who owned these flying ships, and we were particularly close with Barry Coulson, pictured in my painting “Highlights”.

It’s hard to imagine how intimidating they are until you’re beneath them. They are terrifying, actually. But I imagine my strong Dad there beside me, like he was throughout my life, if not in person, at least in my mind. Under his wing, I can feel safe in the face of things that are much larger than me.