During many of my coastal explorations, I have stumbled upon an artist quietly at work. The paintings shown here however, were discovered via the internet. I was looking for some information on a particular lighthouse, when I happened to discover Al LaBanca's enjoyable American Lighthouse Art website that showcases his work.Lighthouses are his passion and he calls them the vanishing castles of America, because so many are abandoned and neglected. Al hopes his artwork will bring attention to theses castles and create an awareness that helps preserve them. Painting with watercolors most of his adult life, he made it his calling to paint lighthouses 15 years ago, upon retirement.
He has painted lighthouses from all over the world, but the lights of the Sound have been more than just an artistic subject for him. As a resident of Darien for over 40 years, Al and his wife Joan have sailed Long Island Sound and relied upon these lights many times (especially during some of his overnight races). They are the classic example of beauty combining with function.
American Lighthouse Art.com
Connecticut: Lighthouses
New York: Lighthouses
Rhode Island: Lighthouses
top painting:Execution Rocks Lighthouse
middle: Black Rock (Fayerweather Light)
bottom: Stratford Shoal Lighthouse (Middle Ground)
paintings are courtesy of American Lighthouse Art
New York Times: Execution Rocks Lighthouse Sold
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