My dad Larry was born on a Friday 13th and he’s almost died a dozen times. He’s fallen off roofs and had car accidents and ski-doo accidents and a tree fell on him once. People sometimes refer to him as the man they couldn’t kill. Most everything he buys is a lemon. Things just happen to him all the time which are maybe coincidental or a result of his heedlessness but either way, the general consensus of people who know my father is that he’s got rotten luck. This summer, my dad had one boat in the water and another on land. He was intending on selling the boat he was using and getting the second one ready to put off. In fact, he had a fella lined up to come buy the first one in two days when he woke up one morning to my uncle telling him that his boat was half under water. The motor was submerged and there were capelin swimming in the back of her. It seemed like someone had untied the boat at some point and done a piss poor job of re-tieing and she somehow took on water. Dad was pretty tore up but he had insurance on the boat and it could be worse. They pulled her up and out of the water and Dad towed her into a mechanic. Meanwhile, Dad went to work on his second boat which was really the boat he loved and wanted. She’s a beauty with teak wood finishes and a bed and bathroom down below. Dad had to sand and oil all the teak. He worked like a dog for ten days or so to get her ready for the water. Summer is flying and the man intends on doing some fishing and joy riding. We love to cruise around the shore in the evenings and we had a trip planned across the bay to Sop’s Arm and Pollard’s Point. So Dad gets her ready and he launches her one beautiful scorcher of an evening. He, my mother, and a fella named Scout who showed up that day in a van from New York State and never wore shoes or a shirt went out and caught a few fish. A lovely time was had by the three of them. The next morning, I wake up to a text from my mother telling me Dad’s second boat had sunk too. I walked the short distance from my trailer to the fish stage where all hands were gathered. The boat had been completely underwater. Dad looked like someone had died. I walked around the stage and took some pictures. It was awful luck but I knew it would make for a great painting.
Larry’s Luck
36×24”
oil on canvas
2025
If you’d like to make an appointment to see this painting in person or to discuss purchasing and shipping, please email us at hello@sabrinapinksen.com.
My dad Larry was born on a Friday 13th and he’s almost died a dozen times. He’s fallen off roofs and had car accidents and ski-doo accidents and a tree fell on him once. People sometimes refer to him as the man they couldn’t kill. Most everything he buys is a lemon. Things just happen to him all the time which are maybe coincidental or a result of his heedlessness but either way, the general consensus of people who know my father is that he’s got rotten luck. This summer, my dad had one boat in the water and another on land. He was intending on selling the boat he was using and getting the second one ready to put off. In fact, he had a fella lined up to come buy the first one in two days when he woke up one morning to my uncle telling him that his boat was half under water. The motor was submerged and there were capelin swimming in the back of her. It seemed like someone had untied the boat at some point and done a piss poor job of re-tieing and she somehow took on water. Dad was pretty tore up but he had insurance on the boat and it could be worse. They pulled her up and out of the water and Dad towed her into a mechanic. Meanwhile, Dad went to work on his second boat which was really the boat he loved and wanted. She’s a beauty with teak wood finishes and a bed and bathroom down below. Dad had to sand and oil all the teak. He worked like a dog for ten days or so to get her ready for the water. Summer is flying and the man intends on doing some fishing and joy riding. We love to cruise around the shore in the evenings and we had a trip planned across the bay to Sop’s Arm and Pollard’s Point. So Dad gets her ready and he launches her one beautiful scorcher of an evening. He, my mother, and a fella named Scout who showed up that day in a van from New York State and never wore shoes or a shirt went out and caught a few fish. A lovely time was had by the three of them. The next morning, I wake up to a text from my mother telling me Dad’s second boat had sunk too. I walked the short distance from my trailer to the fish stage where all hands were gathered. The boat had been completely underwater. Dad looked like someone had died. I walked around the stage and took some pictures. It was awful luck but I knew it would make for a great painting.
Larry’s Luck
36×24”
oil on canvas
2025
If you’d like to make an appointment to see this painting in person or to discuss purchasing and shipping, please email us at hello@sabrinapinksen.com.
