The Windjammer II Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition of marine art. The artists are Stephen J. Card and Milton Hill.

Stephen Card is a master mariner (ship's captain) and, likewise, a master artist.

As such, he has successfully combined his two careers, in that, as an artist, he has been able to take his knowledge of ships and use it to create incredibly detailed depictions of some of the world's greatest ships. This current exhibition is entitled, "The Great Era of Steam and Sail".

Some years ago, I was on a cruise around the bottom of South America and in this instance the guest lecturer, in giving a series of talks on the golden age of Atlantic steamships, spoke at length about Bermudian artist, Stephen Card.

This gives you some idea about how well known he is in the shipping world. Additionally, from Mr. Card's artist's statement, I learned that he has been commissioned by such cruise lines as Holland-American, Cunard and Carnival Cruise Line, to paint portraits of many of the great historic steamships.

Stephen Card is indeed one of the world's most highly regarded marine artists.

Stephen Card has the uncanny ability to paint with great precision, but at the same time, his paintings are never rigid or stiff. Nor do they look like photographs. Indeed, his paintings come across as painterly.

By that, I mean that there is an awareness of paint, that the painted brushstrokes are evident in the painting.

It is also clear that Stephen Card knows, not only ships, but he is also a keen observer of the motion of waves. Combining this knowledge, his ships always appear in very convincing settings of sea and sky.

Additionally, Stephen Card has a sensitive awareness of the interplay of light on water and land. His paintings are atmospheric. Whenever I visit art exhibitions, I habitually seek out those paintings that I find most appealing. In the case of the Cart show, I have not found that possible; all his paintings are highly desirable.

Still, for reasons other than aesthetics, I did find myself drawn to these paintings that depicted ships that I personally have encountered, such as the Queen of Bermuda, The Mauretania, the original Queen Elizabeth and the Spirit of Bermuda. I am sure that others visiting this exhibition will have similar experiences.

Milton Hill is also a highly skilled artist and is best known for his cedar carvings of sailing ships. Although he takes certain whimsical liberties in depicting each ship, they are always delightful creations.

Furthermore, I am intrigued by his use of cedar in creating the sails.

What I find captivating, is how Mr. Hill is able to actually thin the cedar, so that they come across as fabric yet are still perceived as wood. That is an unusual ability. In the case of this exhibition, Milton Hill has produced ship model, somewhat based on Stephen Card's The Spirit and the Pride. It is entitled, The Spirit of Bermuda and the Pride of Baltimore II.

This exhibition is highly recommended and continues through November 25, 2010.