Mariners' Blog

The yellow ochre of the pilothouse stands out on the near grayscale palette of this small canvas. Muted colors begin to become more apparent, like those of a faded, old photograph. And like a photograph, this work is a memory – a snapshot of everyday life. 

Contemplating Connection

In looking at this work, the concept of connection comes to mind over and over. I thought about what connection means to me and my mind immediately went to technology – WiFi, cell service, texts, and email. While there are the cons of a constantly connected world – like endless promotional emails, it also means being able to call my family hundreds of miles away or FaceTime friends in another country. This drove me deeper down the road of connection and what it means. But at its very simplest, to me, connection is about bringing people together and this painting is about just that.    Read more

Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services 

If you’re a fan of my Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation blog posts or a fan of World War II history, you may know about the WAVES – Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services. During World War II, the WAVES was created on July 30, 1942, as the women’s branch of the Naval Reserves. Like the other women’s military groups, the WAVES was enacted to allow women to take over non-combatant jobs in the Navy and free up men for sea duty. 

WAVES fulfilled various positions and worked at Naval bases across the US, ranging from yeoman to chauffeur, baker to pharmacist, and artist to aircraft mechanic. Most WAVES worked in naval aviation units–maintaining aircraft, testing parachutes, and working as domestic air traffic controllers or weather specialists. Some WAVES even trained men in navigation and gunnery, and that aspect is what I’ll be highlighting with this blog post.    Read more