Freshwater Seas

Photography

Snowbird at Lake Monona

by Robert Bethune

To purchase this print You can purchase this print with custom framing on our page at You can also purchase a copy of this print directly from the artist and pay via Paypal.

I call this image Snowbird at Lake Monona after the ice yacht that serves as the subject of the image--a well-known example of the kind of craft that the first people to build iceboats on the Great Lakes designed and constructed. Her woodwork and fittings are really wonderful pieces of craftsmanship, lovingly restored by her owners. There are just a few of these big boats left, and several of them gathered to let the old ladies strut their stuff on the ice on Lake Monona.

I wanted to give this image a stately, regal feel, so I built up the colors while smoothing the surfaces and establishing the contrast between the blurred background, expressive of the speed these grand yachts can attain, and the relatively clear boat itself in all her glory.

This detail shows that there is a lot of abstraction going on even in what seems like a relatively photographic image. The crew, the fittings, and the yacht itself are reduced to areas of color, while the richness of the color and the feel of solid mass holds firm.

 

Ordering information You can purchase this print with custom framing on our page at You can also purchase a copy of this print directly from the artist and pay via Paypal. Every print ordered from Freshwater Seas is produced to order by the artist using archival materials and processes and shipped directly via US Priority Mail. The cost of shipping and all applicable taxes are included in the price of the print. Prints are normally shipped within five business days from receipt of the order. In some cases it is possible to produce prints at sizes other than the size specified below. Please contact us with your preferred size so that we can assist you.
Snowbird at Lake Monona is a 20x30 inch image printed on a 24x36 inch sheet. The print is priced at $52.00.