PORT TOWNSEND — English-born painter J. Steven Dews, who planned to spend a couple of months in Port Townsend, decided otherwise soon after stepping ashore. He and his wife, Louise, opted to stay for a year, and now Dews’ oil painting featuring the MV Blue Peter has been chosen as the 45th annual Wooden Boat Festival poster.
Born in Yorkshire in 1949, Dews failed his Art “A” Level program, and then walked out of a fine arts degree course after only a few weeks because of his disillusionment with the teaching methods, according to Artsy.net.
Dews has since sold paintings for tens of thousands of pounds and shown his art at galleries in London, San Francisco and around the world.
The artist and his wife sailed their 60-foot schooner Wolfhound into Port Townsend last June; now they’re heading north for the summer but will be back for poster-signing events at the Northwest Maritime Center in August and during the Wooden Boat Festival.
His painting for the festival — set for Sept. 9, 10 and 11 around the maritime center — is a limited edition 18- by 24-inch poster print available for $20 at woodenboat.org/shop.
After a two-year COVID-induced hiatus of in-person festivities, plans for a full-size Wooden Boat Festival are underway.
Discounted early bird tickets can be found at woodenboat.org, and those who buy before July 1 will be entered into a raffle to win prizes, such as a private sail on the wooden sailboat La Vie en Rose, during the festival.
The event, hosted by the nonprofit Northwest Maritime Center, at 431 Water St., involves hundreds of boats coming into Port Townsend, along with numerous on-water activities, presentations, music and revelry.
NWmaritime.org has information about the festival and many other events this spring and summer.
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Jefferson County Senior Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3509 or durbanidelapaz @peninsuladailynews.com.
