The February skies over the Sturgeon Bay ship canal are sunny and clear with a gentle breeze blowing out of the northwest at 26 degrees.
With very little snow remaining anywhere on the ground, it’s a great day for a walk along the shipyard grounds to gaze at the variety of Great Lakes freighters in dry dock and under repair during the winter months at Bay Ship.
Chicago artist Stuart Fullerton is also in Sturgeon Bay enjoying the waterfront. He is dressed in thick insulated boots, a warm set of Carhart insulated coveralls, a stocking cap and he’s wearing a pair of gloves with the fingertips exposed for greater dexterity in handling his paint brushes. Having come from Chicago in warmer times to paint outdoors in the 2010 and 2011 Door County Plein Aire Festivals, Fullerton is experienced at working outdoors in any season.
Today, he is concentrating on capturing the remaining details of two ships. His easel and canvas are set up on the sidewalk of 3rd Avenue.
Stuart Fullerton grew up in north central Wisconsin and studied ancient Greek and Latin at Harvard College. After a year studying archeology in Greece and Turkey, he returned to Harvard for law school.
Today Stuart works and paints in Chicago. He is a long-time member of the Palette and Chisel Club and of the Plein Air Painters of Chicago. He has studied with such wonderful artists as Max Ranft, Scott Powers, Ralph Oberg, Skip Whitcomb, Clayton Beck and Romel de la Torre. You can see much more of his work at his Website: StuartFullerton.com.
