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Skipjack model by Garry Cerrone Garry Cerrone loves the patina of use. Tools whose handles are worn to reflect the users hand. Banjo heads with a pattern of how the player strummed the strings. Door sills and stair treads worn to reflect the thousands of footfalls that have crossed them. To Garry these are visual poetry. In his models, he tries to capture that same essence. Boats that are respected and cared for but well used. Boats that show the patina of use, the effects of the weather and time but still convey to you that they are loved by their users. Garry's models all reflect this poesy of use. With stains of rust, peeling paint, graying sun bleached wood. They are loaded with detail, most created in his studio by scratch building, casting or other techniques. All model boats are fabricated from scale lumber also made in his studio. The modeling of  the Skipjack "Virgil G. Dean" is now a work in progress in Garry Cerrone's Maryland studio.  Preview with us the t

 Exceptional sternboard carving titled "Mermaid & Sailor" by Jac & Patricia Johnson.  Jac & Patricia Johnson's work is essentially an outgrowth of their lifestyle – grounded in American tradition but thoroughly infused with modern nods to technology and progress. A piece of their work may start with a hand sketch, reworked digitally for scale or size, but will finish under careful consideration of where each knife and chisel mark will make the most impact. Hand working, with traditional tools and techniques proven by time, ensure a true melding of the old with the new.  A weathervane directional in the form of a jellyfish with tentacles by Jac & Patricia Johnson.  The Johnson's have over time shifted their work from period reproductions of antiques to pushing the boundaries of traditional American folk art forms, seeking to explore the association of universal human themes as they relate to traditional folk art and modern 21 st century life. Emp

Folk-carved Humpback Whale by Southhampton artist Randy Kolhoff It’s a folksy collection of whales, mermaids, fish, fowl, carvings, paintings, models, trade signs, weathervanes, folk and sailor art. Some are whimsical, others memorable, but they are all simply delightful. The 2011 Marine Folk Art Show opens this Friday at 5 PM at Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery located at One High Street (on the riverfront) as part of Olde Towne Portsmouth’s First Friday Events. Virginia decoy carver Gentry Childress Featuring original folk carvings by Randy Kolhoff, Steve Hazlett and Jac & Patricia Johnson, decoy carvings by Gentry Childress, “folky fish” wall art and furnishings by Joe Marinelli, contemporary scrimshaw by Tony Perry as well as other marine artists works. A variety of vintage and antique folk carvings and marine folk items will also be on hand. Mermaid weathervane by Jac & Patricia Johnson Scrimshaw artist Tony Perry will also be at Skipjack during opening weeke