Thursday, May 5, 2011

Vintage Boats Ahoy! Nautical Art Inspiration


The sea is my love. Every time I venture to the beach I absorb some of its ethereal force and it's revitalizing. I love the aquatic beasts that call la mar their home, I love admiring palatial beach mansions and beach shacks alike; wishing they were my own. With a passionate love of the sea, collecting vintage boats is second nature.

 [Not a boat, but still beautiful. My favorite art piece from Art Walk, by Kei Horiuchi]

I have no desire to own a boat and the hassle that comes with it, but at least I can own the most unique vintage boat treasures the briny deep of secondhand junk offers.

[Left: Thrifted maps. Originally from the Florida Times Union. Right: Vintage Boat and nautical finds.]

I took steps to thoughtfully display my growing boat collection. I'm particular about the vintage boats I keep. They have to have just the right balance, color palate, shape, or unique quality. They have to give a powerful message or paint a vivid, vibrant scene.


[Driftwood art piece from my favorite beach, Vilano beach. Details here.]

For now, I think my small boat wheel piece is nicely paired with my "beach bum" driftwood art (details here). They're both from my go-to beach and thrifting area, Vilano Beach.

 [Filling the shadow box, artwork from favorite local artists (mostly trades) and thrifted finds]

I try to carefully keep my collection of nautical, boat, and fish related finds curated. It would get out of hand if I snatched up each one I encountered. I slowly hunt for the most unique pieces, the ones singing a passionate soulful sea shanty at me every time I look at them. Well, they actually sing some R&B and Motown-style Soul music at me, because they are my mystical nautical talismans and they will sing what I want them to sing. ;)

What do you like to collect while thrifting?
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20 comments:

  1. I think you're going to need a stuffed narwhal, once I've perfected the pattern.

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  2. Oh yay! I would cherish it forever, as I cherish your other plushies!

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  3. LOVE the maps. I'm on the hunt for similar ones...

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  4. When I'm thrifting, I collect functional kitchen stuff and my husband collects lamps and chairs. We have our fair share + of all these things.

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  5. I am so obsessed with brass I always head straight for that area. Most thrift shops I stop in tend to organize it all together. Just bought 4 new pieces of brass just yesterday. I wish I could find maps but I don't have any luck in that department.
    Chic Modern Vintage

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  6. Love the maps and kokeshi dolls...

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  7. I didn't realize it, until my husband pointed it out, but i have amassed quite the collection of small animals. (not living)

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  8. And I LOVE that lamp you have in the picture of the maps. GORGEOUS!

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  9. Jessica: When you're a curbside hunter, it's easy to end up with too much...gotta hold back!

    Tonia! that's so interesting that you find so much brass! I'm never very lucky there!

    Nells: I -love- animal figurines. I collect mini dinosaurs!

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  10. Jill/Parsimonia: Thank you for the map/kokeshi doll compliments. They really were a unique and lucky find with a bit of local history, too.

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  11. I collect miniature dollhouse furniture and accessories for creating my miniature vignettes with playful stories! Love your photos! :-)

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  12. Plushpussycat: I'm completely in LOVE your mini vignettes! Love every detail, adding paper for extra texture, the plushies, the dimension...etc! I love collecting miniatures too, I cannot get enough of them.

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  13. Love your displays! That little ship's wheel fits in perfectly! I just found a large brass ship wall hanging a couple of days ago. I'm sure pics will turn up soon in my blog (looks similar to your first pic but brassy). Those maps are amazing too. I'm surprised there isn't a little Risk whale displayed somewhere!

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  14. I collect vintage sewing stuff and vintage jewelry. I call myself a jewelry hound, but maybe "magpie" would be better. I just love the sparklies!

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  15. Flo: Desperately wanted to hang it and take a photo last night, I love my Risk piece! It's mysteriously gone missing though! So...ashamed. Can't wait to recover it!

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  16. TYRaines: Magpie! That's cute! :)

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  17. We definitely share a love of all things nautical, I'll have to take photos of my nautical bathroom when I get back to Chicago.

    I also pick up vintage Nautical items to wear, like a fish necklace, whale earrings and pins in the shape of a seahorse, boat, lobster and anchor.

    You do a great job displaying your collection, it's hard not to go crazy when collecting a certain item! Who did the little whale painting in the bottom right corner of the shadow box? I really enjoy the artist's style of illustration.

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  18. i like that you choose your pieces carefully, and display them so nicely. it would be too easy to just snap up things that were on theme and hang on to them somewhere just because you collect them. thanks for sharing van, i enjoyed looking through those. and i'm sure i've commented on your aqua walls before too :)

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  19. Just "found" you; we love antiquing and thrift store finds (including old maps). Looks like we are in the same NE Florida general area. Enjoyed reading your posts.

    Alyzabeth's Mommy

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  20. Alyson: Thanks for the kind words! Lots of thrifting to do here in North Florida... :)

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I love reading your comments. Thank you for adding to the discussion! I always reply to any and all questions.

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