Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN77) (GHWB) took part in a canvas painting night, hosted by GHWB's Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) team, June 3.

Events such as these are held regularly to give Sailors a break from the long hours and often tedious work that comes with being on deployment.

"We try to do arts and crafts twice a month, and painting has proven to be very popular with the crew," said Emily Randell, GHWB's Fun Boss. "Because of that, we make sure to offer opportunities like this somewhat regularly."

The variety of painting styles was as broad as the variety of faces serving on the mighty warship. Some added color to canvases with pre-sketched images, others exercised their artistic skills, while others tried their hand at painting for the very first time.

"I don't really paint, but I'd like to get into it and MWR provides opportunities to do that," said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Sandra Morales. "I'm trying to do a night scene, but I can't get the moon right!"

For the artistically inclined, the event was a chance to enjoy an activity that isn't always easy to do at sea.

"I like art, so this is just another chance to do it," said Electronics Technician Airman Jayden Wysynski. "I'm 'Bob Rossing' it! There's a happy little tree here. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm having a great time. This is a great time for people who don't paint to try something new."

Some of the Sailors who came to the paint night had artistic experience, albeit not with painting.

"I normally do charcoal sketching," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Alexandra Buenostro. "But it's nice to try using paints. I'm doing a painting of where I'm going after deployment."

While some used their paintings to dream of the future, others instead used them to revisit the past, such as the days of middle school art classes or painting as a child.

"This helps people reconnect with their past," said Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Dustin Koser. "A lot of people take art classes when they're in school, and they really love it. Things like this offer a chance to relive those days."

GHWB is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations designed to reassure allies and partners, and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), visit www.navy.mil/.