Art Paine, and indeed many Bahamian artists, considers the
Exuma village of Rolleville his favorite place for painting. Winslow Homer
is famous for having said, upon returning from his first trip to the Bahamas
in 1885, "I think Bahama the best place I've ever found." He was
thinking of Nassau, and indeed Nassau must have been a much smaller, more
rustic and picturesque village back then. Beauty and quiescence have moved
on since then, but the same qualities were abundant in Rolleville a few years
ago. This village and nearby Barreterre were known for boatbuilding. Art Paine
delighted in the fact that besides the dense tropical colour around every
turn, it seemed that new and old dinghies were as plentiful here as scraggly
goats. And instead of concentrating on the lovely village beach, most of the
boats rested in dooryards or out under the reliable shade of a banana tree.
"Silver Sea" belongs to Kermit Rolle, who owns properties all around
town. So the boat could be found in various spots as the years passed. In
this view, she is atop the high hill that commands a terrific view of the
incredible waters of Exuma Sound. "Silver Sea" is not silver at
all, but she IS a "C" class Bahama racing dinghy.
Change is inevitable. Although moving to Rolleville in order to paint was
once Art's fondest dream, hurricanes and modernity have altered the village
irrevocably in recent years, and it's rampant beauty has faded. So Art now
dreams of taking a ramshackle schooner, easels in the cockpit, to Crooked
island, Acklins and Mayaguena.