(American, 1923-1989) Thomas Hoyne's interest in the romance of the great sailing and fishing vessels began during his boyhood, when he spent summers at his grandmother's cottage in Ogunquit, on the coast of Maine.

"I became familiar with the Gloucester-Cape Ann area," Mr. Hoyne recalled, "and while there in 1938 saw the movie 'Captain Courageous' in Gloucester. The subject of the story was the Gloucester fishing fleet, and I was completely taken by it. In fact, it started a life-long interest in the New England fishing industry, its ships and traditions."

Although Thomas Hoyne had no formal art education, he became acquainted with Gordon Grant, the famous National Academy artist and a friend of Hoyne's grandmother, who enthusiastically encouraged him.

Hoyne served his naval career in the Pacific Theater as a gunnery on the L.S.T. 48. This period was no doubt crucial to the development of Hoyne's excellent knowledge of and feel for the water. He possesses a thorough understanding of the anatomy of oceans and has an instinctive sense of the poetry of the sea.

Hoyne's first job out of the Navy was as an illustrator in Chicago. As he became more and more successful, he was able to be more selective about his work decided to devote his artistic talents to marine subjects. Not long after that, he was made a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists.

In all likelihood, no other artist could exceed Thomas Hoyne's attentiveness to research, detail and planned composition of his marine works of art. Hoyne was known to commission schooner models by one of America's foremost model builders. This enabled him to more accurately portray vessel depictions in his paintings, refining his desired perspective and making best use of all vessel details and lighting variations.

In documenting the New England fishing schooners, Hoyne developed a distinctive, recognizable identity all his own. The skill he possessed in capturing the anatomy and poetry of the sea was unequalled.

Hoyne's care and meticulousness, added to his enormous artistic talents, is primarily why he produced such a precious few paintings through his artistic career. Those few paintings are now very rare and highly prized by those who own them, including museums, corporations, and private collectors that were so fortunate to acquire them.

COLLECTIONS:

Peabody Museum, Salem, MA
Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT
Maine Maritime Museum, Bath, ME
Ventura County Maritime Museum, Oxnard, CA