The Donaldson's Inn - Negril, Jamaica
This December my dad and I spent two weeks together in Negril, Jamaica. Having never attempted travel drawing or studying the ocean, I took it as an opportunity to get to know the landscape. Every morning I woke up and made my way to the 7 mile beach. I spent a lot of time drawing the cliffs, the cove, and fishing boats that would wash up on shore to sell their catch in the morning. My favorite drawing was the day after a heavy storm hit. It washed mass amounts of seaweed onshore, and brought the water level up to the back doors of many cottages on the beach. I got to know a lot of people living and working in the tourism trade and spent a good amount of time studying the catamarans anchored a bit off shore. It is in no way a full picture of the environment I experienced. After leaving and looking at all the work I made I am sad to say how incomplete my journal was. In many ways, the people living and working in Jamaica are who make the environment so special. If I ever return, I will spend the next block of time working on portraits, and drawing studies of my favorite stops along the way.
On Christmas Eve, my dad and I walked down Seven Mile Beach and found a nice place to play Gin Rummy at sunset.
Here is one of my early morning drawings of a catamaran and glass bottom boat anchored off shore near The Donaldson’s Inn.
“This Is Ossie, Have you seen him” My dad and I stayed at The Donaldson’s Inn, where he’s been coming for over 30 years. Ossie owns the Jerk Chicken Shack across the street, and this is a painting his brother made of him. From what i’ve been told, Ossie is also an artist, but as he comically explained to me, he is a lazy one.