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When a child has a father and grandfather who are both well known illustrators, it is likely the
offspring will also become an artist. And when a boy starts to sail at the age of six, it is also
likely that the artist might choose the sea and sailing ships as his subject. Such was the case
for Christopher Blossom, who, by the time he left the Parsons School of Design and Robert
Bourke’s Design Studio, could visualize a finished boat from only its plans—and draw the craft
from any angle. Before Blossom was twenty, he had sailed under square rig aboard the
brigantine Young America. Known for his complex, detailed compositions of ships at sea,
Blossom combines his appreciation for the beauty and the menace of the sea with his love of
maritime history and ship construction. Before Blossom paints a vessel, he is likely to study
the ship’s blueprint to learn about it hull design, length, tonnage and deck layout. Blossom’s
historically accurate ships and harbors are combined with color, light and composition to
capture the mood of a voyage and convey the essence of the seafaring experience. At the
age of twenty, he won a Gold Medal at the Society of Illustrators Scholarship Exhibition. His
dual vocation of experiencing the sea and then painting both nautical history and some of the
greatest modern places to sail, was truly launched. Blossom became both a charter member
and an artist of the American Society of Marine Artists, serving as its president from 1983 to
1986. His awards include a Gold Medal from the National Academy of Western Art for his
painting of ships in Monterey. Saluted as an undisputed master, Blossom has exhibited his art
at the Gilcrease Museum, the Colorado Museum of History, the prestigious Prix de West
Invitational and the Artists of America show. Blossom continues to achieve artistic honors
including the Robert Lougheed Memorial Award at the 2001 Prix de West. Almost the only
time he isn’t painting is when he is sailing, visiting ports of call in Maine, Connecticut, Rhode
Island, Maryland, the Bahamas, California and Washington state. Blossom, who recently spent
a year sailing around the Caribbean with his wife and two sons says of his love, "It’s not a
hobby, it’s a way of life. When I look at the ocean, I get the same feeling pilots must get when
they look to the sky."
offspring will also become an artist. And when a boy starts to sail at the age of six, it is also
likely that the artist might choose the sea and sailing ships as his subject. Such was the case
for Christopher Blossom, who, by the time he left the Parsons School of Design and Robert
Bourke’s Design Studio, could visualize a finished boat from only its plans—and draw the craft
from any angle. Before Blossom was twenty, he had sailed under square rig aboard the
brigantine Young America. Known for his complex, detailed compositions of ships at sea,
Blossom combines his appreciation for the beauty and the menace of the sea with his love of
maritime history and ship construction. Before Blossom paints a vessel, he is likely to study
the ship’s blueprint to learn about it hull design, length, tonnage and deck layout. Blossom’s
historically accurate ships and harbors are combined with color, light and composition to
capture the mood of a voyage and convey the essence of the seafaring experience. At the
age of twenty, he won a Gold Medal at the Society of Illustrators Scholarship Exhibition. His
dual vocation of experiencing the sea and then painting both nautical history and some of the
greatest modern places to sail, was truly launched. Blossom became both a charter member
and an artist of the American Society of Marine Artists, serving as its president from 1983 to
1986. His awards include a Gold Medal from the National Academy of Western Art for his
painting of ships in Monterey. Saluted as an undisputed master, Blossom has exhibited his art
at the Gilcrease Museum, the Colorado Museum of History, the prestigious Prix de West
Invitational and the Artists of America show. Blossom continues to achieve artistic honors
including the Robert Lougheed Memorial Award at the 2001 Prix de West. Almost the only
time he isn’t painting is when he is sailing, visiting ports of call in Maine, Connecticut, Rhode
Island, Maryland, the Bahamas, California and Washington state. Blossom, who recently spent
a year sailing around the Caribbean with his wife and two sons says of his love, "It’s not a
hobby, it’s a way of life. When I look at the ocean, I get the same feeling pilots must get when
they look to the sky."
Christopher Blossom
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