Willard Bond

annapolis marine art gallery

1978 -2013

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WILLARD BOND
1926 - 2012

Notice to our Bond Enthusiasts all over the world - Willard passed away on Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Yountville, California. He was close to his daughter, Gretchen de Limur, who cared for him during his last days. We mourn the loss of one of the world's most talented artists and most lively personalities. We shall miss him.

Willard Bond was quite simply the number-one painter of sailing action in the world. His posters and prints - his originals in oil and watercolor, have won him a huge following among sailors and those who love the constant movement of the sea in all its moods.
    He was born in the Pacific Northwest and grew up on Lake Cour d'Alene in Northern Idaho. In World War II he acquired experience on battleships, cruisers and destroyer escorts while serving in the South Pacific and was among the first miliary personnel in occupied Japan.
    Bond spent 15 years of "making the SoHo scene" in lower Manhattan, both as a ceramic muralist and as an easel artist. His large ceramic murals from this period can still be seen around New York at Cannon Point North under the 59th Street Bridge and at the Eugene O’Neill Theater, to name a few. Bond was then bitten by the Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome bug and moved to a rain jungle by the sea in Jamaica, where he experimented with geodesic dome construction for five years.
    The advent and design of today’s sleek racing boat and Bond's artistic interpretation have proven a perfect match. Willard was fortunate enough to get involved with the Freedom Syndicate during the 1984 America's Cup series. He was invited to straphang on Freedom in a warmup tacking duel with Liberty before the last Liberty-Courageous race. Since then he had been getting additional onboard experience in world class racing.

HERE'S WILLARD BOND AT THE 2010 UNITED STATES BOAT SHOW RECEPTION IN HIS HONOR

Willard Bond has been featured in several definitive magazines and books on the subject of marine art. His work appeared in "Bound for Blue Water," a compendium of the best of marine art and artists authored by marine art authority Russell Jinishian. He says, "Bond creates paintings, not around what the boats look like, but what it feels like to be aboard or nearby, watching them move fast - big, speeding boats often only inches apart while aiming for the same unsuspecting mark. If you want to know what it is like to be in the heat of a yacht race, just take a look at a painting by Willard Bond."

Bond studied at the Chicago Art Institute, the Art Students League of New York and is a graduate of Pratt Institute Art School. He is a Fellow in the American Society of Marine Artists. Bond was featured in an article in the summer 1980 edition of Sea History, the Winter, 1982 edition of Nautical Quarterly, and the August 1987 issue of The Yacht. Willard paints in his studio in the Catskills and is a frequent visitor to Annapolis for the United States Sailboat Show, and for openings at the Annapolis Marine Art Gallery.

We at Annapolis Marine Art are proud to represent Willard Bond We have become the largest dealer of Bond paintings and images anywhere.

Willard Bond Prints

POSTERS ~ Full color lithographs on glossy paper, Unlimited edition size
Standard Poster size Approx 20" by 26"

LIMITED EDITIONS ~ Full color lithographs on archival paper, Edition size 750
Signed and numbered by the artist, - Standard Size Approx 20" by 26"

GICLEE PRINTS ~ Large-format images on paper or canvas, Edition Size, 150
Signed and numbered by the estate of Willard Bond
Digitally reproduced, 100 times more resolution than a conventional lithograph
Standard Size 30" by 40", Custom sizes available - call for pricing

- Click on images to enlarge -

At The Mark Poster $45

At The Mark Limited Edition $150

At the Mark Giclee $975

Off Annapolis Poster $45

Off Annapolis Giclee $975

bermuda
Bermuda Run Giclee $975

Breaking Through Giclee $975
layline

Layline Poster $45

Layline Giclee 23" x 25 " $975

closehauled
Close Hauled Giclee $975

cup
Cup Contender Limited Edition $150

comingon

Coming On Giclee $750

Hull Speed Poster $45

First Around Limited Edition $150

First Around Giclee $975
sloop gree

Sloop on an Off Green Sea Limited Edition $150

takdown
Take Down Poster $45

starwars
Star Wars Poster $45

Star Wars Giclee $975

battle
Battle At the Mark Giclee $975

Horizon Job Poster $45

Horizon Job Giclee $975

On the Bow Limited Edition $150

On the Edge Poster $45

On the Edge Giclee $975

Pacific Drop Giclee $975

leading
Leading the Fleet Giclee $975

norht seas
North Sea Giclee $975

knarr
Knarr Class Limited Edition $150

Knarr Class Giclee $975

The Seventh Wave Giclee $975

Screamers Giclee $975

take down
Gossamer Takedown Giclee $975

Inches to Spare Poster $45

Crossings Giclee $975

Running Home Poster $45 Running Home Limited Edition $150 Running Home Giclee $975

Spinnaker Heaven Giclee $975

summertrio
Summer Trio Giclee $975

Off Newport Giclee $975
riding

Riding the Wind Poster $45 Riding the Wind Giclee $975
comin

Comin' Atchya! Giclee $975

Courageous Giclee $975

Windward Shore Giclee $975

Sailing High Giclee $975

Afterguard Giclee $975

February 14th Giclee $975

Bloody Mary Giclee $975

Following Sea Giclee $975

Courageous Catching Up Giclee $975

Getting There Giclee $975

Spinnaker Drop on Courageous Giclee $975

Sailor Take Warning Giclee $975

Spinnaker Wall Giclee $975

A Delicate Balance Giclee $975

Split Decision Giclee $975

Big Yellow Giclee (Oversize) $1075

The Wave Giclee $975

BOLD AND THE WET
The Bold and the Wet Giclee $975

Yellow Sky Giclee 36 x 60 $1075

Dulcibella at the Mark 36" x 70 $2950

Shallow Waters Giclee 36 x 52 $1450

Fantasy Regatta 35 x 40 Giclee $975

Yellow Spinnaker Drop 30 x 40 Giclee $975

Dousing the Chute 30 x 40 Giclee $975

Coming Storm 30 x 40 Giclee $975

Click here to view Willard Bond Originals

Prints Shown Below

Six New Bond Giclee Prints Available!

Willard Bond's print editions are published in several formats:

POSTERS ~ Full color lithographs on glossy paper, Unlimited edition size

Standard Poster size Approx 20" by 26"

Price $45

LIMITED EDITIONS ~ Full color lithographs on archival paper, signed and numbered by the artist, Edition size 750

Standard Size Approx 20" by 26"

Price $150

GICLEE PRINTS ~ Large-format images on paper or canvas, signed and numbered by the Estate of the Artist. Digitally reproduced, 100 times more resolution than a conventional lithograph, Edition Size 150

Standard Size 30" by 40", Custom sizes available.

Price $975

Any given print might be available in only one format or all three.
Available formats are designated below each print as follows:

P = Poster L = Limited Editon G = Giclee

WHAT IS A GICLEE?

This is the question we answer most. "Giclee" is a colloquial French term for "little sprays" and refers to a method of art printing which utilizes digital and ink-jet technology. The prints are special for their extreme resolution, faithfulness to the original, and size flexibility.

The original painting is imaged using very high-resolution photographyand angular lighting which highlights surface texture, particularly in the case of oil paintings. The image is stored digitally and printed, one at a time, in a process which requires about an hour and a half per sheet.The printer utilizes nozzles which spray 7-micron pixels onto paper orcanvas. The image is often finished with a varnish which adds an additional protective layer against moisture and fading.

In the quest for prints which are as close to the original as possible, Giclee is a quantum leap from traditional four-color lithography.