Blog / 2026 / Like a Duckling
April 30, 2026
This is the second time I painted a duckling in my career. The first time was for cuteness, but also to make a point.
You can see First Steamboat for Passengers and Freight at the Independence Seaport Museum right now! It’s installed just inside the lobby. There’s no ticket purchase required to see it.
Independence Seaport Museum
211 S Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Open: every day from 10a to 5p, except Wednesdays
Firstival: Saturday May 30th from 11a to 1p
Besides the first steamboat, I also painted the first zoo and the First Continental Congress. Learn about all three #1 sculptures that I painted for 52 Weeks of Firsts here.
Plan your art-and-history tour of Philadelphia and see all the firsts in the 52 Weeks of Firsts public art exhibit using this interactive map.
First Steamboat for Passengers and Freight
2025
acrylic on all four sides of a foam sculpture in the shape of a #1
44 x 29 x 18 inches
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
This #1 sculpture represents the first steamboat for passengers and freight in the United States. Specifically, it shows inventor John Fitch’s 1790 design, which, unlike later steamboats, didn’t have a paddle wheel, but instead a paddle system that worked a lot like a duck’s feet.
The steam-driven paddles were at the back of the boat, and they dipped into the water and pushed away from the vessel in order to move it forward. Then, through a pulley system that resembles a bike chain, the paddle would come up out of the water and move close to the boat again to reset for the next push through the water.
When trying to figure out how to depict all this, I went with a duckling because: cute. Sometimes that really is the most important factor in an artistic decision.
Maybe this post made you think of something you want to tell me? Or perhaps you have a question about my art? I’d love to hear from you!
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