Barbara Nuss

Honoring the Shiplap House         Pinkney Street Shadows (plein air), 14 x 18, oil on linen       After walking around forever looking for an exciting scene at a "Paint Annapolis" plein air event, I finally found this historic street which beckoned me with its luscious lights and shadow patterns where I happily settled in to paint Pinkney Street Shadows.      At the time, I was unfamiliar with all the history, and so I had no clue that the red clapboard house that I included on the right had any particular significance. Boy, was I wrong.          I have since learned that it is the Shiplap House, built by Edward Smith about 1715, and is one of the oldest surviving houses in Annapolis. It is downtown at 18 Pinkney Street, just blocks from the Maryland State House and the US Naval Academy. During the eighteenth century, it served as a tavern and an inn, run by Mr. Smith and his wife.  The word shiplap comes from overlapping, random-width flush siding on two sides of the building. It is painted this lush barn red color and the widths of the boards are unusually wide, indicating that were made from old mature trees in the early 1700s. Currently the Shiplap House is home to the Historic Annapolis Foundation. Below are some pictures of the Shiplap House:

Prints of my painting, Pinkney Street Shadows, are available at Fine Art America. The original is available on my website and comes in a gold frame with free shipping.