A PAINTER'S JOURNEY PART 3: The Studio Boat

In this seven-part series, artist John Hulsey takes you on a visual journey through his outdoor and studio painting processes.

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Shortly after moving to Argenteuil in 1871, and inspired by his friend Charles-François Daubigny, Claude Monet purchased a boat that he converted to a bateau-atelier, or studio boat, so he could paint the views and reflections from out on the water. The ethereal views of the Seine, Oise and Epte rivers that he painted are some of his most loved paintings today. His example inspired me to buy a used jon boat to serve as my own modest outdoor painting studio when I work on the large pond near my studio. After a thorough scrape-down and repaint, I named the boat after my nickname for my wife: “Annabelle.” The boat is now equipped with an electric motor, oars, two anchors and a pair of swivel seats, but actually has built-in seating for five people, plus dogs. It has a flat bottom and when anchored fore and aft it is a very stable platform for painting, even in the wind. In fact, I wrote this article while sitting in my boat out on the water.