Ghost Ships by Nancy Cook Smith

Ghost Ships by Nancy Cook Smith is a contemporary fabric collage artwork that explores maritime imagery. Measuring 33 x 30 inches, this textile wall art features hand-cut and layered fabric elements depicting sihlouettes of sailboats, figures, and shoreline vignettes dispersed across a soft, atmospheric ground of muted grays and warm ochres.

This nautical fabric collage draws from historical and decorative textile motifs, recontextualizing them into a fragmented, dreamlike composition. The ships appear suspended—neither fully anchored nor in motion—creating a sense of stillness and ambiguity. The limited color palette enhances this effect, allowing form and negative space to carry the composition.

Material and process remain central. Each fabric fragment contributes subtle variations in tone and texture, while raw edges and irregular contours emphasize the handmade construction. The layered surface aligns the work with contemporary fiber art, textile collage, and maritime-inspired art, bridging traditional craft and fine art presentation.

Ghost Ships is ideal for collectors seeking neutral-toned textile art, coastal or nautical wall art, and understated contemporary collage. Its scale and quiet palette make it especially suited for interiors that prioritize texture, softness, and tonal cohesion.

Details

• Original textile collage work
• Size: 33 x 30 inches
• Mixed vintage and contemporary woven fabrics
• One-of-a-kind piece
  
• Variations in composition, tone, and texture are inherent
• Unframed