The Botwood Mural Arts Society were seeking information as to the identity of the young lad and were planning on painting a mural based on it. I tried to contact them but was unsuccessful and I do not know if they completed their project or not.
I was really taken by this image for several reasons. The practically square wheels on the water cart is hilarious, imagine the sloshing and splashing that there must have been when the cart got moving. I liked the feeling of nostalgia the scene evoked.
The Water Nipper's job was very important in Newfoundland back then, when water lines were limited, if they existed at all, and a crew of hardworking men required lots of fresh cold water.
Of course, I took some artistic liberties with it, including adding the kitten, so as to improve the composition and add interest, but I think the picture retains the important elements. This is a subject that Norman Rockwell would have loved. I couldn't resist it!
Noel
3 comments:
The little boy in this picture is my dad Harold Watkins of Botwood Nfld. In the pic he was about 13 yrs old . The two dogs were his and they always went with him everyday.
The little boy in this picture is my dad Harold Watkins of Botwood Newfoundland. He was about thirteen years old and his two dogs went everyday with him on his water trips.
A wonderful photo that I couldn't resist painting after I saw it in the DOWNHOME. The magazine reproduction, however, was not sharp and I could not see the detail so I took some liberties with it. Last year we visited Botwood and I made it a point to look for the mural that had been painted by another artist. He did a good job but it is quite different from my version in which I added and changed several things since I was not concerned with accuracy. I wish I could have seen his face better in the photograph, it might have resembled him more. Thank you for letting me know who it is. I have have relatives in Botwood, Raymond Pelley is a cousin.
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