Gary Rainwater is a lifelong, self-taught artist whose preferred materials include oils, ceramics, and wood. A man who's always done things his own way, Gary took one art class in high school, but the teacher wasn't teaching what he wanted to learn so he never took another.
During a 22-year career as a fireman in the city of Los Angeles, California, handling everything from rescue ambulance to fireboats, Gary was a member of the California Woodcarver's Guild, displaying his work at many shows and wining a prize at the state level.
"I'm just getting back into painting after a 30-year vacation," he says.
Gary's lifelong relationship with boats began in 1956 when he salvaged and restored a cabin cruiser. He also built three catamarans, restored a turn-of-the-century sailing cargo ship, then bought the vessel he and his wife Barbara still own. S.V. Ladyhawk, a Danish fishing boat. The Rainwaters lived aboard boats for 32 years and raised two seaworthy daughters. Everywhere aboard Ladyhawk is ample evidence of Gary's artistic eye, in wood carvings, built-in cabinetry and decoration.
Everything Gary does is done with characteristic forethought, care, and an artist's eye. When he and Barbara decided to settle ashore, they built Dragonfly Cottage, a small but spectacularly unique storybook house surrounded by Barbara's English cottage garden. Gary calls their Port Townsend home, featured in Cottage magazine and on a cable-channel home show, "the oldest new house in town."
A master at scrounging secondhand materials for his boats and home over the years, Gary has framed most of his works using his "finds". "I use whatever I can get my hands on," he says, "from barn siding to scrap molding."
Drawing inspiration from life, photographs, and any other source that strikes a resonant note, Gary likes to work big and gold, exploring images on board, canvas, and discovering the secrets hidden in wood grain.
During a 22-year career as a fireman in the city of Los Angeles, California, handling everything from rescue ambulance to fireboats, Gary was a member of the California Woodcarver's Guild, displaying his work at many shows and wining a prize at the state level.
"I'm just getting back into painting after a 30-year vacation," he says.
Gary's lifelong relationship with boats began in 1956 when he salvaged and restored a cabin cruiser. He also built three catamarans, restored a turn-of-the-century sailing cargo ship, then bought the vessel he and his wife Barbara still own. S.V. Ladyhawk, a Danish fishing boat. The Rainwaters lived aboard boats for 32 years and raised two seaworthy daughters. Everywhere aboard Ladyhawk is ample evidence of Gary's artistic eye, in wood carvings, built-in cabinetry and decoration.
Everything Gary does is done with characteristic forethought, care, and an artist's eye. When he and Barbara decided to settle ashore, they built Dragonfly Cottage, a small but spectacularly unique storybook house surrounded by Barbara's English cottage garden. Gary calls their Port Townsend home, featured in Cottage magazine and on a cable-channel home show, "the oldest new house in town."
A master at scrounging secondhand materials for his boats and home over the years, Gary has framed most of his works using his "finds". "I use whatever I can get my hands on," he says, "from barn siding to scrap molding."
Drawing inspiration from life, photographs, and any other source that strikes a resonant note, Gary likes to work big and gold, exploring images on board, canvas, and discovering the secrets hidden in wood grain.
"Gathering"
Original Oil - 36 x 36
$
1,250.00
Nice Kitty
Original Oil 28 x 40
$
1,600.00
Stripes Print
Framed Giclee on canvas Original. 21.5 x 21.5
$
0.00
Taking Flight
Framed Giclee on canvas.
24 x 24.
24 x 24.
$
286.00
Inca
Framed Original Oil.
24 x 30
24 x 30
$
825.00
Foredeck
Oil
$
0.00
Gossip
Oil
$
0.00
Lady Bug
Oil
$
0.00
Morning Coffee
Oil
$
0.00
Sled Dogs
Oil
$
0.00
Swordfish
Oil.
$
0.00
