Filed under: maritime art, FotoFriday, Sea(cret) Santa | Tags: Foto Friday, photography, Sea(cret) Santa, Frederick LeBlanc
Sea(cret) Santa thinks that there is no better gift to give someone special than art and today in keeping with Sea-Fever tradition of FotoFriday, his bag is full of Fred LeBlanc’s unique maritime photographs.
About the artist from his website:
Frederick J. LeBlanc has worked as a professional photojournalist for over twenty-five years. His commercial and editorial images have appeared regularly in regional and national publications. His life long passion for classic wooden sailing vessels has led him, over the last decade, to document these historic windjammers as they sail, in harmony with the wind and sea.
Viewing himself as a photojournalistic storyteller, he uses his fine art prints,to bring to the public a greater awareness and appreciation of our maritime heritage.
Through his collections of photographic artwork he hopes to recall a vanishing era when the waves were broken only by the power of the wind, to capture the majestic beauty of these historic tall ships and to offer a visual escape that evokes a longing for the sea.
Fred also writes Wake of the Windjammers, an interesting blog about maritime heritage and photography.
Best of all, Fred’s original artwork is very reasonably priced. For instance, the above “Roseway Sails,” a 11×16 archival pigment ink print on media, matted 16×20 (includes shipping and handling) is a Collectors Print December Special offered for only $ 39.00! Prices on his other work start at $20.
Fred’s been a great promoter of maritime heritage and supporter nonprofit organizations like the American Sail Training Association. And Santa thinks his art is great too!
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Filed under: life, maritime art, Sea(cret) Santa | Tags: Etsy.com, jewelry, sailorjenny, Sea(cret) Santa
For as long as sailors have been going to sea they have been engaged in making art and crafts. Scrimshaw and shipmodeling immediately come to mind. Today things aren’t all that different.
@sailorjenny is one of my Twitter “friends” and she’s a sailor in the Navy who makes some pretty nifty jewelry which she sells on Etsy.com. From her profile:
A sailor’s life for me! I’ve been sailing the high seas (and some of the low ones, too) for 12 years. I love my job, I get to see wonderful places and amazing people and learn so much about how similar we all are – all while earning a paycheck! But when I’m not out on the waters, I’m at home in sunny San Diego exercising my creativity and creating pretty things. I enjoy the creative process, it’s like therapy for me. I love my day job, but it’s a stressful line of work, and making the world a little more beautiful helps me to balance the not-so-nice parts. My favorite time of the day is after the kidlets are in bed and the house is set back to rights, and I can create for my self in solitude. I love the process and the little bits of reclaimed goodness that my works come from. Some evenings I just go through my findings and dream; some nights I’m like a woman on fire, creating until my wonderful husband prods me off to dreamland. I hope you enjoy wearing/using my creations as much as I have enjoyed making them, I love knowing that a little piece of me is in every piece, wherever it goes.
I am inspired by my 2 wonderful precocious children, my truly wonderful Soul mate, the sea, the sailors around me and the things I find in my travels of the world.
Here’s a sample of her beautiful jewelry. More can be found here.
Get something truly unique for someone really special and support a sailor in the process.
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Filed under: life, maritime, Sea(cret) Santa | Tags: 2008, Sea(cret) Santa, Portsmouth, NHL, Rotary, tugboats, ornament
Just 15 shopping days left and Sea(cret) Santa is here with another nautical gift suggestion for that mariner in your life who already has everything.
Sea(cret) Santa recently discovered these limited edition 24 kt gold plated holiday ornaments that feature the famous Portsmouth tugs. These beauties are being sold by the local Rotary Club and all of the proceeds go to area charities. You better hurry is you’re interested because they only produced 600. Here’s how you can purchase them. Price $14.
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Filed under: life, maritime, Sea(cret) Santa | Tags: Sea(cret) Santa, 826 Valencia, Pirate Supply Store
Just 22 shopping days left and Sea(cret) Santa is here with another nautical gift suggestion for that mariner in your life who already has everything.
826 Valencia is an amazing nonprofit organization in San Francisco dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their writing skills, and to helping teachers get their students excited about the writing. Their work is based on the understanding that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success and that great leaps in learning can be made when skilled tutors work one-on-one with students.
826 Valencia also operates the world’s only Pirate Supply Store. While Santa realizes that pirates are bad, there is really no where else that carries Scurvy Begone.
From the Pirate Store website:
You have: incredibly tender gums, loose teeth, internal and external bleeding, a weak kidney, and a massive vitamin C deficiency. We have: citrus flavored pills. Price: $9
Editor’s note: We recommend you check with your health insurance provider to see if Scurvy Begone is covered under your plan.
Other things that you might find interesting at the Pirate Supply Store are their FAQ’s (All Q’s, no A’s) and their Gallery of Signs which includes this one:
Of course, if you are in a real gift giving spirit this Holiday Season, why not consider making a donation to 826 Valencia and helping a nonprofit help some inner city kids get a head start on life. Please watch:
[YouTube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0809zOgc10]
YouTube – A Day at 826 Valencia
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Filed under: life, maritime, Sea(cret) Santa | Tags: Sea(cret) Santa, Wunder Boner, YesButNoButYes
Sea(cret) Santa apologizes for falling off his sleigh and not providing his daily suggestions as originally promised. He’s actually been on a secret mission trying to locate the best and most unusual maritime gifts for you this season. And well here’s a real doozy:
[YouTube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ79pCJBcJ8]
YouTube – Hilarious Commercial – The Wunder Boner.
Be the first in your neighborhood to give this amazing gift. Your lucky giftee will “wunder” how they ever survived without one!
Happy Holidays!
Via YesButNoButYes
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Filed under: life, maritime, Sea(cret) Santa | Tags: Bathboat, Sea(cret) Santa, Wieki Somers
Just 23 shopping days left and the Sea(cret) Santa is here to help with some some nautical gift and stocking stuffer suggestions.
Ever feel like you want to drift away in your bath? Well, Dutch designer Wieki Somers has just the thing. Her amazing Bathboat is made of wood and epoxy resin in a limited edition of 30. Since it’s really more of a work of art than a bathroom fixture it will set you back about $25,000. (PFD’s not included)
From Wieki Somers website:
Floating in the water and bathing in the water deal with so much similar feelings and elements that they are combined in one installation. By turning a small boat inside out it becomes a bath. The bath tub legs make you think of the wooden frame on which the boat usually rests when at the dock.
The Bath Boat turns out to be a vehicle on dry land where the mind can drift away or drift home after a full day of shiploads of information. It will wash away the dust of the city.
Stealing Beauty: From Rat Fur to Broomsticks, Wieki Somers Makes The Everyday Extraordinary – New York Times Style Magazine, Design Fall 2008
