While sailing out on the open water, I am captured in a mystical entanglement of wonder and freedom. “Northern Gold”, captured in vibrant watercolor, is a tribute to all those magnetic sensations I experience whilst sailing. As to date, I am still not sure what’s the best part of sailing, the skidding on water, the slow arching of the boat as the sails catch the wind, or the whole thing. Or perhaps in some moments, it is the blazing horizon as it transfixes itself gracefully across the serene and calm waters of the evening, or the cries of birds that echo across the vast, and distant stretch of water in search of a relinquished solitude. For like the stillness of wind, the reflection of water, my mind becomes a blank canvas, undisputed, clear and held in perfect tranquility. “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” These are the words that I find great truth in, as I have also found through sailing out on the open water, knowing it can be found as an oasis to all those who are willing to find a part of themselves in it. - Nikolai Deleff, Yellowknife