There is something endlessly appealing about old wind-up toys, especially the ones built with real craftsmanship and imagination. The J.E.P. speedboat at the centre of Uncharted Waters comes from 1930s France and was considered one of the finest toy boats of its time. Marked “No. 2,” it was the largest model produced by J.E.P., complete with a functioning wind-up mechanism, brake lever, and removable hatch revealing the tightly coiled spring inside. Even now, nearly a century later, it still feels sleek, optimistic, and full of possibility.
That sense of possibility became the starting point for this painting.
The boat glides quietly across luminous turquoise water, leaving only a soft wake behind it. There is no drama in the scene, no crashing waves or racing engine, just movement and direction. The calmness matters. It gives the painting room to breathe and allows the viewer to settle into the atmosphere. The lilies floating on the surface and the reflections moving through the water further soften the scene, creating a dreamlike quality that sits somewhere between memory and imagination.
Colour plays an important role here. The cool blues and greens of the water create a feeling of stillness, while the pink water lily introduces warmth and balance. The deep greens of the tree frame the composition and draw the eye back toward the boat itself. I wanted the colours to feel slightly heightened, almost cinematic, while still holding onto a sense of quiet realism.
In the background, the architecture carries a strong Art Deco influence, with clean geometry, smooth curves, and confident symmetry. The cream coloured building, narrow windows, and carefully balanced shapes reflect the optimism and modernity of the 1930s, the same period the J.E.P. boat was made. Art Deco was a style obsessed with speed, elegance, and progress, so it felt like a natural fit for the painting. The streamlined look of the boat mirrors the architecture behind it, tying the whole composition together visually.
At the same time, the building creates an interesting contrast with the water. The architecture feels stable and controlled, while the water remains fluid and unpredictable. That tension became an important part of the painting. The boat moves between those two worlds, between certainty and risk, between the safety of the shoreline and the unknown beyond it.
Although the subject is technically a toy, the painting is not really about childhood. It is more about imagination itself and the way objects can carry emotional weight long after their original purpose has faded. Old toys often become containers for memory. They remind us of curiosity, invention, and the excitement of setting something in motion without knowing exactly where it might lead.
The hidden spring inside the boat became symbolic for me while painting this work. Once wound, it releases stored energy and quietly pushes the boat forward. In many ways, people are not so different. We carry our own momentum shaped by memory, ambition, fear, and hope. Uncharted Waters captures that moment when movement has already begun, when the destination is still uncertain, and when the journey itself becomes the important thing.
Oil on fine portrait linen: 95 x 178 cm 37.4 x 70.1 in (Sold)
