The inspiration for Staying Afloat came from a photo I took of a tree draped with lobster buoys on the quaint island of Isle au Haut, Maine.  The island, which is part of Acadia National Park, is only accessible by boat.  The buoy tree is located near the Town Landing where the ferryboat docks and is a colorful, welcoming site.  The buoy tree is much like the shoe trees that have spread along Oregon’s highways and beyond but I think the lobster buoys are more lively and charming than the shoes and thought it would be a fun subject to paint.