two famous sailing ships at sea, very well done by well known artist, on canvas, image area 15" X 30" plus frame......Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Earl Collins focused his painting career primarily on marine painting. From his childhood, which from age five was spent at the Hamptons on Long Island, he grew up surrounded by boats and became fascinated with seafaring subjects. He spent hours sketching busy harbor and other marine scenes, and at age 12, took a job on a commercial fishing boat.Earl Collins served for three years in the U.S. Army during World War II, and spent time in Europe. After the war, he returned to Europe, going to Paris as a student of Swiss artist Rudolph Eicher and learning Old Master techniques. Desiring to continue life at sea, Collins , at age 27, went back to the United States and became the Master of several ocean trawlers. He became the Captain of two large merchant ships and in 1962 bought and became Captain of the largest commercial sword fishing vessle in the United States.From 1971, he was a member of the American Society of Marine Artists, and his depiction of the clipper ship "Challenge" is in the collection of the Chrysler Museum. The U.S. Navy Collection has two of his paintings for the ward room of the aircraft carrier "Enterprize". For Collins, a highlight of his career was the commission of two large oils of the clipper ship "Dreadnought" by the great-granddaughter of the ship's captain, Sam Samuels.