Nautical Themes—Essential sea-loving prints
Sails, ships, navigational charts, crusty
seamen, knots, and the deep blue sea... Many of
us love to fill our homes with maritime icons,
such as the art decor at this nautical portal,
just so we can pretend there's salt in the air
and we're on the deck of a yacht watching the
sheets taunting the wind with it's mainsail.
And speaking of sails, I know there's a proverb
that states, "It's not the towering sail, but
the unseen wind that moves the ship," however I
would like to say that as true as that
statement is, I happen to believe it's the sail
alone that moves me. What do I mean by that?
Well, if you look at the Just the Sail Art
section, I believe you will be as emotionally
captivated by the photography that
photographers: Alan Hausenflock; Michael Khan;
or David Stevens' have created as I have been.
So, come and get moved with either a dreamy or
knotty emotion by sailing away into a wild,
blue yonder of these nautical decor art prints
and posters. Here is a blog post I came across
and thought you might be interested in seeing a
wonderful example of how
nautical prints look in a room
designed by interior designer Suzanne
Kasler.
No question, in my humble opinion, one of the
most unique pieces of nautical artwork in this
section has to be, 'The Ship' by artist,
Salvador Dali. I know it's thought to be
inspired from a classical work of art by
Montague Dawson, however I'd like to believe
that the following quote by August Hare was
partly responsible for sparking Salvador Dali's
imagination...
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"Thought is the
wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the
vessel."
August Hare Quote
So, is it 'Anchors Away' OR is it 'Anchors
Aweigh' like the title of the 1945 movie that
stars Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly starred in?
Either way you look at it, the yacht isn't
going anywhere, however that doesn't mean your
home decorating project has to come to a stand
still just because you can't find the perfect
artwork for the wall. Hope these nautical
decorating ideas of an anchor will help.
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Black and white photography is a perfect way of
for showcasing the contrast between sailing
vessel and it's elements. A classic example of
the sails beauty coming out against a black sky
is the image, 'Iverna Yacht at Full Sail'.
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"To reach a port
we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and
sometimes against it.
But we must not drift or lie at anchor."
Oliver Wendell Holmes Quote
When it comes to colour in sailing art, one is
definitely going to be guaranteed that blue
will be the primary colour. The beauty of these
blues is that they are alive with movement. Not
a print or poster skips this aspect--even in
calm waters, like Jaume Laporta's, 'White Sails
I & II' series, one can still see the flow
of nautical life moving amongst the sailboats.
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I'm not sure which is more important: a
nautical map or a compass. Maybe the compass,
because a map is not nearly effective when
you're lost. However I don't think it's that
simple. Take creating a home environment, there
isn't one particular item that is 'the most
important'—it's the synergy of all items
working together to create an end result. So,
in that case, I might have to say, "Don't for
get all three navigational tools when you're
sailing, BUT when you're 'searching' for the
land where nautical art dwells, you might want
to start here with a compass print, then here
for a
maps,
then here for the
sextant.
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Communication today has changed considerably
since the time when radio silence was required.
Do we have silence anywhere today? Well, one
area that remains pretty silent until we put up
communications in the way of art, is in our
rooms. An artist may not be wanting to tell us
that, "All races are abandoned. No more racing
today, " or "4 minutes to start," or "I am
dragging anchor" just because they're a master
at geometric abstracts, however, the following
graphics gives a clear communication to any
nautical decorator wanting to say . Bold,
bright, clear code–MESSAGE IS UNDERSTOOD.
If your home decorating theme is nautical,
often the girl's bedroom can be a real
challenge sense knots, tar covered ropes, and
rusty anchors, art work or not, probably aren't
her thing. However, the following nautical
prints by Andrea Stajan-Ferdul will complement
her little sailing berth nicely while at the
same time get a royal navy salute from her.
Besides, who doesn't like a dress made with
stripes and dots in navy blue, especially if
its adorning a cute, little sailor's collar?
Being at the helm is not a minor detail when it
comes to sailing, in fact, it is a pretty
important position to be in. So, who would you
put at the helm? I'll bet the little sailor in
your life would love to see 'Mickey at the
Helm'. Or maybe, during
a storm at
sea. you'd like to have a little
bit of extra support. Clearly artist Danny
Hahlbohm can see that possibility and
expresses it in his nautical artwork called,
'At the Helm'.
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As far as I'm concerned, just pondering over a
nautical art print gets my mind sailing on the
open sea of imagination and inspires me to
believe that life is full of endless
possibilities to explore. All you have to do is
let your spirit fill your sail.
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'Three sheets to the wind' is definitely a
sailing expression, but what I find the most
interesting about this phrase is the word
'sheets'. Now, in the days before I learnt how
to sail, I used to think that this word
referred to the name of a sail, but I was
wrong. It actually means a 'rope' or chain that
guides the sail in the desired direction. Go
figure. But, here is where we definitely know
what to call a sail—nautically gorgeous! Note,
the best part about this particular nautical
decor for the home is that it is two for
one—sail art and abstract art.
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It's what knot to do on a sailboat―leave one
untied. Speaking of fit to be tied, I remember
my first sailing trip and being so worried that
I won't tie the knots correctly I practiced
until my fingers hurt. So, having one of these
prints on my wall would now remind me to have a
little respect for the sailors who have this
skill down to a fine art. Decor that's
guaranteed to be knotty! Or at least get your
decorating up to speed because one knot equals
1.151 nautical mile or 1.852km per hour (speed
reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knot_(unit))
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Wonder what Christopher Columbus would think
about all of our navigational electronics that
get us from point A to point B nowadays?
Dollars to lire, he would want to stick to good
old nautical maps. But, if I was you, I would
just hang one of these artful treasures on your
home wall and who knows what that could lead
to―maybe pirate's gold.
"If one does not
know to which port one is sailing, no wind is
favorable."
Lucius Annaeus Seneca Quote
The first magazine cover is La Vie Parisienne
And the race is on... so feel free to cheer for
your favourite team. Maybe artist
Sally Caldwell-Fisher artwork titled, 'Rainbow Regatta'
will inspire you to cheer loudly from the shore. My bets are on red.
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As the three prints chosen here depicts,
sailors come in all ages. I particularly like
artist Norman Rockwell's, 'Ship Ahoy' print
because it loosely represents a full
circle―from the little sailor who can't wait to
navigate the open waters, to the wise, old
seaman who passes on his wisdom and folklore.
Besides telling him how mother nature can be a
force to reckon with during a storm, do you
think he also whispers into the lads ear about
the first time he saw a mermaid? Okay, okay
even I'd like to believe in some mythical fish
tales. Plus, how could I exclude the
photographer Victor Jorgensen's navy photograph
take in Time Square of the sailor kissing the
nurse―what a classic black and white.
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For some reason, sepia nautical photography
exudes nostalgia to me. The slight brownish
shade has an air of antiquity to it; like of
days long gone and speaking of days long gone
are some of my sailing adventures. Boy, I long
for those moments of freedom on the open waters
where I had so much fun learning about nautical
ins and outs.
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What an awkward tool for sailors to handle, but
that's not the point to it really. The point is
finding points.
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Still waters can run deep or they can literally
mean the 'still' of little movement or activity
on the surface. The following
monotone prints by artist Michael Kahn
typify that there is more to sailing than trying to out wit the waters and wind. After a long day of intense maneuvering the ocean going vessel, it is absolutely essential to slow down and rest. A great metaphor for our day to day grind—as in—it's okay to slow down, after a hard day at the office, and let the peace surround our weary vessel. So, lay back, put your feet up, and let a wall of nautical artwork heal your soul.
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There was promise of adventure, but I'll bet
someone forgot to remind the sailors of how
magnificent the storms at sea were. Can you
imagine how fast the hearts were pounding
onboard
Rembrandt van Rijn's, 'The Storm on the Sea of Galilee'
? That's the beauty of art, it lets us imagine wild experiences, where life is on the edge, in the safety of our homes...
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Tall ship art, on your walls, is instant
confirmation that the room understands the
mainstay of Nautical decorating. These art
prints of magnificent vessels carry not only a
visual appreciation, for times gone by, but
they carry the mood of the day when life was
bigger than anyone could imagine if they were
at sea—adventure was guaranteed. Oh, a moment I
would love to experienced would be to drift on
a calm sea under the same light as
Montague Dawson's 'Crescent Moon' art print.
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