Paddles by Design

I’m sharing a very special project I did for an amazing young man. Nick is in the military and served overseas for several years. When he returned home he ventured out to do a 100 mile canoe trip down the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. This scenic trip is so beautiful and I suspect equally therapeutic for him. He asked me to make two paddles to capture his experience, and it’s beautiful surroundings, in a meaningful way. This was a special collaboration for both of us. Here are the photos and artist notes. We used Native American symbols for the canoe, bold colors to represent sunsets, nights, water and trees. On one paddle handle we did an aqua stripe and included the lat/long coordinates. It was a meaningful project for me, to say the least and a great pleasure to get to know him. Thank you Nick.

Emily’s paddles for her new home. I love when my paddle owners post pics! And as a bonus I got to play with her sweet baby girl Adeline.

These two paddles arrived at their new cabin home in Western, Wisconsin. The owner was kind enough to share his beautiful modern cabin, newly finished. Thank you Al!