The Quilties – Fine Art Print

“The Quilties” is a vibrant, heartwarming painting by Newfoundland artist David Coates that beautifully marries marine life with the rich heritage of traditional Canadian craftwork. The piece features three whale flukes breaching the surface of a deeply textured blue ocean, arranged carefully like a family unit with two large adult tails flanking a smaller baby fluke in the center. True to its whimsical name, the skin of each whale is rendered to look exactly like a classic “crazy quilt” patchwork pattern, intricately divided into geometric, mosaic-like shards filled with distinct colors, polka dots, stripes, and stitched borders. As the tails lift above the splashing white seafoam, they are framed by rocky coastal cliffs and a warm, glowing yellow-and-orange sunset that illuminates the horizon, making it a perfect celebration of Atlantic Canadian folk art.