Maine Wood Carver Adam Pearson brings His Marine Carvings to Skipjack Nautical Wares

 Adam Pearson grew up on the southern coast of Maine, in the coastal town of Wells. During Adam's youth, he began at the young age of fourteen working on deep sea fishing boats out of Perkins cove, a small harbor bay and fishing village in the town of Ogunquit. He now resides in Kennebunk with his wife and three daughters. Adam is captain of his own small lobster boat 'SILKIE,' a 25 foot lobster boat built in Arundel, Maine and moored on the  river of the historic boatbuilding town of Kennebunkport. An important note: Adam fishes in a sustainable way to maintain an ecological balance and not depleting our marine resources, using far fewer traps than the majority of Maine lobstermen.

In his youth, Adam went with his mother to work at the store/workshop Wooden Wildlife, where she painted and decorated wooden decoy blanks imported from Canada. His father was a trained artist where he studied at the Boston School of Painting. His father brought home a number of weathervane templates where Adam used to draw and recreate similar works. He also learned to carve wooden fishing lures and as a contestant, were into local art shows for viewing and judging where he won awards for his quality work.

For the last 20 years, Adam has created folk art in his woodworking shop carving various marine animals and fish in a traditional manner, using only hand chisels and drawknives in the way that 19th century seaman would create "sailor" art during their leisure time. Adam personally selects choice white pine for his carvings from barn-stored seasoned, renewable wood at Spiller Farm.

 From the local docks to the waters of the Gulf of Maine, he has personally observed the creatures that he carves. His goal is to create a reminder of the ocean’s great beauty in hopes of its safety for future generations.

Shown below are four carvings by Adam Pearson that are currently available at Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Art Gallery with links to each art piece on Skipjack's webstore. You can also see these carvings in person by visiting the gallery located in the fishing village of Round Pond, Maine.

01. A  Humpback whale made from Maine white pine, and carved by Adam Pearson. Finished only with dark wax. It really brings out the best of the wood and would be a great match for any rustic home interior. Dimensions are 35 inches long by 13 inches high and 5 inches deep.

Carved white pine Humpback Whale by Adam Pearson

02.  This one of a kind loggerhead sea turtle was carved by Maine artist Adam T Pearson. The whale was carved from one thick piece of white pine found at a local farm and captures the gracefulness of these beautiful creatures in motion. The rich wax gives the turtle a leather-like appearance to the shell. This antique appearance brings to mind hand-crafted folk art, fashioned during the turn of the 20th century. 22 inches long x 12 inches wide and 3 inches thick

Hand carved Loggerhead Sea Turtle by Adam Pearson

03. Hand-carved Right Whale by Maine artist Adam T. Pearson. This wonderful three dimensional art piece was created using local aged white pine from a nearby farm. The artist has gouge marks from the chisels on the body to present a pleasing surface texture and hand carved look. Finished with acrylic paints and waxed with beeswax to bring out the chiseled strokes. Measures 38 inches long x 16 inches high and an overall depth of 4 inches from the wall. 

A beautifully carved Right Whale out of white pine and painted by Adam Pearson.

04.  This exceptional carving of a large halibut was created by Maine artist Adam T Pearson. Many hours were involved removing white pine chip by chip to reveal what is now a beautiful sculpture that looks as though it could swim off the wall. A wonderful example of realistic art that would compliment any seaside coastal home. Measurements are 49 inches long x 22 inches high and a total of 2.5 inches deep.

This exceptional extra-large Halibut fish was hand-carved and painted by Adam Pearson.

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Dealers of nautical antiques and collectibles, marine art, lamps, lighting, ship salvage and hardware, Skipjack sells quality nautical furniture and furnishings, marine instruments, model boats, nautical gifts and décor. Skipjack’s Marine Art Gallery features marine paintings, sculptures, ship models and folk art featuring mermaids, whales, fish and fowl.

Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Art Gallery

Visit our Maine Showroom: 1172 State Route 32; Round Pond, ME 04564

Open Year-Round by chance or appointment

(207) 219-0897

10 Tips for Designing the Perfect Nautical Room for Your Coastal Home

Here are 10 proven winners for creating your very best nautical inspired room in your coastal home. Any or all of these design ideas will go a long way toward the realization of your space. Give these nautical design ideas a try:

1.  Proper lighting plays a key role in any successful space.  For a nautical inspired space choose table and

Vintage aluminum ships window re-purposed into a
nautical mirror. Aluminum 90 degree passageway
lights light-up the space.

.

floor lamps that are functional, not just decorative. Place them near the task at hand. One of the best ways to create that old seafaring look is to select ship navigational and space light fixtures re-purposed into functional lighting. Rewired nautical wall sconces positioned on either side of a bathroom mirror can be very effective. Old re-purposed ship lanterns make great table lamps, and ship pennant lights, cage lights and passageway lights are top choices to light both your interior and exterior spaces.

2. Repetition of your theme will enforce your ideas.  If you are working with the idea of ‘sailing’ perhaps, select a piece of wall art featuring classic sailboats, a model of a sailboat on your mantel or table and navigational chart lampshades on your table lamps. Go a step further and include striped sailcloth on a piece of upholstered furniture. Of course not every element should be strictly about sailing but a good rule is to repeat an idea three times in any space.

3. Nautical colors, textures and finishes are typically borrowed from ships and yachts. Colors that associate well are described as sailcloth white,  pitch black, port red and starboard green and navy blue.  Wood selections include teak and mahogany, oak and maple. Brass, bronze, copper, aluminum, tin and galvanized metal, chrome and nickel finishes, both polished to a high shine or left verdigris for a weathered patina.  Use hemp and nylon line for edging surfaces- including black and navy blue nylon for a distinct yachting presence. Try navigational charts for a wall covering, especially in small areas like a bathroom or dressing room.

4. Dress up your kitchen and bathroom cabinets and furniture by selecting brass or nickel-plated cleats as

Nautical brass cleats can be used as cabinet
pulls,  door handles  and for tieing off lines.

handles and pulls. It’s the perfect look for both hardwood and painted cabinet finishes. Hand-tied monkey’s fist or turk’s head knobs are perfect choices too!

5. Antique sea chests and select antique furniture fit well into the traditional New England style nautical environment. You may also want to consider custom made furniture using retired teak ship’s grates or hatch covers as tops for tables. These are both beautiful, functional and add a lot of character to the room. We’ve also used old ship’s doors, brass portholes and windows as tops for occasional and coffee tables too.

6. Nautical/marine art for your walls can be more than just a print or a painting, though the perfect marine painting can be the focal point in your room. Framed black and white photographs of classic yachts and giclee prints after original paintings are usually more affordable ways to add in quality marine art.

An antique ships wheel is hung above a mantel with a 19th century cased
model of a schooner in the foreground.

7. For other wall art forms, consider a beautiful ships wheel, ship’s name, quarter and stern boards, old oars, a collection of half hulls of old sailing ships, folk and sailor marine carvings of whales and mermaids and even harpoons, representing  the days of whaling and seafaring days gone by. Victorian age sailor’s valentines were brought back from the island of Barbados as gifts for loved ones. Contemporary examples with great detail can be a great choice as well. Also, consider adding in the sound of the ringing of a ship’s bell clock.

A carved and painted wood mermaid is in stark contrast to the
navy blue wall, a perfect art form for a nautical designed space.

A collection of ship in bottles
are displayed"en masse"

8. Be selective when accessorizing your nautical room. We recommend using sextants or octants, spyglasses, on a bookshelf, boxed compasses, small scale models, wood blocks and smaller sailor-made carvings on table, desk and chest tops. Small collections work best grouped together in a tight assemblage.  You will make a stronger statement when they appear "en masse" as each one accents the other.  Think of a collection of ship-in-bottles, antique scrimshaw, or a grouping of items like vintage blocks from sailboats, compasses and other small maritime items placed together on a bookshelf or tabletop. Larger ship’s instruments like binnacles, telegraphs and ship wheels on stands are well suited to stand alone placed in a corner or as a centerpiece.  

9. Always select quality over quantity. A few authentic vintage or antique nautical items are better than a room-full of reproductions and nautical nick-knacks. A little can go a long way.

10. Don’t be afraid to take a photo of your space and ask for advice.  A qualified dealer can assist you with finding the right items to create the perfect nautical environment for your home or office.

Written by Joe Elder of Skipjack Nautical Wares & Rebecca T Larys Interior Design, IIDA located in Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia. You can visit Skipjack Nautical Wares website at www.SkipjackNauticalWares.com.  

Skipjack Nautical Wares 

& Marine Art Gallery

620 High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704

www.skipjacknauticalwares.com

757-399-5012
Visit our website for current gallery showroom hours.
Shop our web gallery 24/7!

Skipjack's Annual American Marine Folk & Sailor Art Show

It’s a folksy collection of whales, mermaids, fish, fowl, carvings, paintings, models, trade signs, weathervanes, folk and sailor art representing some of the finest American folk artists working today combined with with examples made in the past. Some are whimsical, others memorable, but they are all simply delightful!

Swimming mermaid wood carving by Virginia artist Jac & Patricia Johnson.

Welcome to Skipjack's Annual American Marine Folk and Sailor Art Show! This year once again features a select blend of marine marine art from some of the best marine folk artists working today together with a selection of vintage and antique examples.  This year, we have the privilege of introducing New England folk carver John Shaw to our show. His carvings represent a traditional rustic folk art style similar in composition to carvings created during the early days of whaling. Each whale is hand-carved and painted in a style that replicates an antique example. John's carvings are created using native white pine and finished in acrylic paint and sealed both front and back with spar varnish urethane for durability.

Carved and painted wood sperm whale by Mass. artist John Shaw

Tiny carved wood sperm whale by
John Shaw.

John Shaw is a native of Plymouth, Massachusetts and a direct descendant of the pilgrims. He has been carving and painting for over 30 years with a focus on wildlife. Custom carvings may be commissioned. We are pleased to have this fine marine artist as a part of the Skipjack family.

Here is a link to the American Marine Folk and Sailor Art Show now on display at Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery in historic Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia. The show runs through November 8, 2014. The gallery is open Monday- Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm. You can also visit our web-store 24/7 by following the link here: Skipjacknauticalwares.com.

Folk art painting on barrel slat by Jean Colquhoun