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Helsinki is a lovely city. Crystal and I had one day to explore it, just enough to give us a taste of its myriad charms. This painting is based on a photo I quickly snapped when we were walking to the Russian Orthodox Church. I liked the juxtaposition of the relatively new (sailboat, delivery van, people in brightly colored garb) against the weary old structures and wharf. I've been having fun lately doing quick little studies on small panels and this was a natural to add to that collection. I was going for misty afternoon, which corresponds to the photo I worked from, but ultimately decided to show some late in the day clearing in the distant sky. Pay no attention if the shadows and lighting consequently make no sense. Artistic Freedom, you know.

So. Little painting. Turned out okay. What to call it?

Canan, one of my painter friends, amuses me because she wastes absolutely no effort in trying to title her paintings. They all have one word names like "Fish" or "Tree" or "Istanbul" or "Cat." It is a very utilitarian approach and I admire her for it. Try as I might, however, I cannot do the same. A painting she might title "Table" I would feel compelled to call "Tuesday Morning Coffee" or "Still Life with Grapefruit and Mug" or "Hannah Wants Cornflakes Today" or "Yes I Know That This Title Is A Pretentious Snoot But I Want To Sound 'Artistic' Besides I'm The One Who Painted The Darn Thing So You Can Just Shut Up."

It occurred to me that this boat might be one that charters out regularly from Helsinki. Its location, along the wharf, as opposed to in the nearby marina, suggested as much. So I spent a ridiculous amount of time Googling every combination of words having anything to do with Finland and sailboats in hopes of learning the name of this particular vessel in order to come up with a pompous title along the lines of "Lars Drinks Coffee and Eats Cornflakes at a Helsinki Wharf Aboard the S.S. Minnow. Thursday Afternoon. Greenwich Mean Time. Ish."

Which I would later edit down to S.S. Minnow in Helsinki Harbor.

However, I do not know the sailboat's name, so this is titled "Helsinki Harbor."

Canan would name it "Boat." I envy her.