From Sky to Sea
An email lit up my phone as my flight touched down in Miami. As the plane lurched forward, I brushed my thumb across the screen, quickly scanning the message. Holland America Line was partnering with Crane Stationery to create an original line of stationery in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Would I be willing to interview and discuss my availability for an artistic collaboration?
Oh heck yes I would.
I quickly typed out a response while waiting for my luggage. This is one of the best things about having built a business I can take on the go – I am always ready to receive opportunities when they arrive!
I smirked while pulling my luggage off the conveyor belt; maybe at 18 I should have joined the Navy! As an Air Force Veteran, ships were the last thing I ever expected to be commissioned to paint. It just goes to show, you never know where life will take you!
It wasn’t long after this that I had my interview with Holland America & Crane Stationery. With coordination and assistance from Allied Global Marketing and the United States Veterans’ Artists Alliance, I was selected alongside two fellow veteran artists to create paintings of ships which appear on each line of onboard stationery.
Meet the Brands – Holland America Line
Holland America is currently owned by Carnival Corporation and has a long and storied history beginning in 1872. During the 1880s – 1920s, many people immigrated to the United States from Europe on Holland America ships. Though the Dutch were neutral during World War I, six Holland America ships were lost by the end of the war. Holland America had 25 ships at the start of World War II, and only 9 remained by the end. Of the ships I was assigned, both the Noordam and Nieuw Amsterdam were converted into troop ships, and the Zuiderdam was used for blockade ships in order to keep invasion out of allied ports. The fourth ship I was assigned – the Rotterdam – has always been a part of the Holland America fleet.
In the decades to follow Holland America would expand into luxury cruising, be acquired by Carnival Corporation, and at present has carried more than 12 million passengers throughout its history.
I was amazed by the history of Holland America, but as you know, I don’t automatically say yes to requests for brand collabs. In addition to being an artist, I am a PADI certified Rescue Diver. My creative practice extends below the ocean where I gather inspiration while sketching the reef on my dives. The health of the marine environment matters greatly to me: it is an inseparable source of inspiration in my creative practice and a major focus area in my business.
When I work with a brand, one thing I look into is how they approach sustainability of operations and impact to the natural environment. The storied history of Holland America and their sustainability efforts made this collaboration all the more meaningful to me.
Meet the Brands – Crane Stationery
Talk about American history! Paul Revere was one of Crane Stationery’s first customers, using the paper to print the American Colony’s first money. Invitations sent for the inauguration of the Statue of Liberty? Crane paper. Stationery for Tiffany’s of New York? Also, Crane. White House Christmas cards, sympathy acknowledgements from Jackie Kennedy, Jimmy Fallon’s weekly “Thank You Notes” segment – all created using Crane Stationery paper.
The opportunity to work with Crane Stationery felt quite special to me not only because a part of my creative practice is writing, but also because I am an avid letter writer. Many of my friends live or are deployed all over the world. We write one another letters weekly. And we get competitive about it, using fancy stationery and wax seals! I have sent many notes of gratitude, encouragement and hope on Crane Stationery. So, it feels very full circle to now find my art featured on a line of Crane Stationery cards celebrating Holland America Line and the America 250th campaign.
Deciding on an Artistic Approach
When working with a brand, the first thing I do is deep dive into the history of the brand and get very clear on the intent of the project. Before I put pen to paper or brush to canvas, I need to know what we are trying to communicate. I then carefully consider how we can use the legacy of the brand to support that message visually.
Main Character Energy: I was assigned four ships: the Rotterdam, Zuiderdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, and Noordam. Holland America provided me with photographs so I could sketch and study every angle of each ship. I studied each ship carefully so I could understand each of them individually as their own character. I wanted to render them with as much accuracy possible.
Precision Linework: Ships are all about precision. Timing. Coordination. Managing movement of people from place to place. Ensuring quality of experience for all guests. This takes so much attention to detail at multiple levels, and so I wanted to draw with that in mind. I also thought about how this was a cruise line, and so I wanted to use lines in the art.
Environments & Color: The surrounding environments would be informed by supporting seascapes which served to reflect the attention of the viewer back to the ship. I would dial the intensity of color back to allow the ship to take center stage.
Directionality: I wanted each ship to face its own direction, as each voyage you take is unique in where you go and what you experience.
Bringing Things Together: I decided early on that I wanted to leverage collage in my approach. Just as Holland America Line and Crane Stationery connect and bring people together, I wanted to mirror this and bring different types of paper together in my overall painting.
I continually asked myself throughout the process: how can I give each ship its own narrative journey? How can I create a sense of possibility? How does travel speak to legacy?
Step Into My Studio
I usually use very intense, bold saturated colors for my art, but I took an intentionally different approach with this project. I wanted to strike the right tone that echoed the elevated intentionality behind everything that Holland America Line and Crane Stationery do. As a result, I took a more romantic approach to the landscape using soft watercolors, allowing for the most intense colors to take a backstage to the beauty of each ship.
I wanted to use supplies which enabled me to stay within the thematic bounds of connection and journey. To do this, I brought together a wider array of materials than I usually do. I used art materials I have acquired from all over the world during my travels.
Some Materials Included:
- Rosa Paper (from Ukraine & acquired in Doha Qatar)
- Arches Paper (France)
- Daniel Smith Watercolors (Washington State)
- Winsor and Newton Watercolors and Gouache (London/France)
- Holbein Gouache & Kuretake Gansai Tambi paint (Japan)
- Caran d’Ache Watercolor Pencils (Switzerland)
It was good I allowed myself to be expansive with the supplies I chose, because it balanced out the constraints I had when it came to other areas. Each painting is small – 11” x 8.5”, so I had to use a magnifying glass to help me with details on each ship. When it came to the colors of the ships, I was extremely mindful of Holland America Line’s branding. My final touches were done digitally to ensure the colors were exact and precise. I limited the seascapes to four times of day: nighttime, sunrise, daytime, and sunset. This allowed each ship to have a unique environment all its own, which is true for the voyages as well.
The steps I followed to complete each of the four paintings included:
- Initial digital rendering
- Transferring the drawings to paper for linework and tracing
- Painting each ship & detailed touch ups
- Painting the backgrounds for each ship
- Cutting out all the ships
- Collaging each ship onto its respective background
- Digitizing the work and finishing touches
Introducing Four Original Works of Art
I am proud to introduce you to the four original paintings I created in collaboration with Holland America and Crane Stationery in honor of America’s 250th anniversary!
“Sailing with Stars at Night” – Rotterdam
Rotterdam—like all other Holland America Line ships—offers world class entertainment onboard. I knew I wanted to paint the ship at night because you can literally “dance the night away” at the B.B. King Blues Club to the Rolling Stone Lounge onboard.
“Sail at Sunrise” – Zuiderdam
Here we are greeted by the Zuiderdam at sunrise. Soft pastel clouds part as the sun is just beginning to peek out from the horizon behind the ship. The ship glides toward the viewer, an invitation to join the journey.
“Sail at Sunset” – Noordam
After a long day at sea we are greeted by the Noordam at sunset. One of Holland America’s brand colors is Dutch Orange, and I was really excited to play with shades of it in the environment surrounding the Noordam. The colors of the ship connect with the colors of the environment in a way that feels exciting and full of possibility. What other adventures will this voyage hold?
“Fair Winds and Following Seas” – Nieuw Amsterdam
As Holland America is known for its Alaska cruises, I wanted to be sure to include at least once painting of a ship in a cold/icy sea environment. When I was in Alaska during my time in the Air Force, I was struck by how the water at times reflected the sky, almost like glass. Also, the original Nieuw Amsterdam sailed half a million miles transporting 400,000 troops for allied forces during World War II. In honor of this legacy and with an eye toward the future, I decided to name the painting “Fair Winds and Following Seas” in encouragement of smooth voyages, new beginnings, and successful journeys.
A Letter from Me to You
It is so exciting to think about how my art will be used on the commemorative card line available onboard ships. When I think about guests using the cards to send messages to loved ones about their adventures and voyages… I am filled with such a strong sense of pride in what I do as an artist and veteran. As I steadily build out the second phase of my career as an artist and author, it brings me to life to see my creative work travelling across the world. Somehow my service has evolved into storytelling through art, and this has unlocked so many new possibilities.
No matter what fears you hold or doubts you have, sit for a moment with the thought of what might be possible for you. I hope this art enables you to walk away with a greater sense of possibility in your own life. What if you booked that voyage? What if you sent that letter? What if you invested in that dream? What if that opportunity is just waiting for you to finally say yes? We are all the authors of our own story in this journey through life, and it’s up to us to decide how our story goes. You are your greatest legacy.
