When I was raising my children I built my own canoe. My kids and I went fishing many times in the high mountain lakes of Utah and Idaho. We caught thousands of trout. After a while, the body of the canoe became brittle and cracked. I had to tape up the bottom with duct tape to keep water from leaking in. Because of this I named my boat “Leaky Louise.”

The main technique I’ve used in this painting is “foreshortening.” The canoe and the front paddle are painted in a shortened manner which gives a feeling of depth.