Tillamook Lighthouse is an extraordinary sight.   Built in 1881, it stands on a wave-washed basalt rock islet that protrudes from the sea 1.2 miles off Tillamook Head south of Seaside, Oregon. The 62-foot-high lighthouse was among the most remote and least hospitable light stations in America.  It was nicknamed Terrible Tilly because of the thundering seas that smashed against, and often during storms, over it. During its commission from 1881 to 1957, Tillamook Head was an important sentinel for mariners approaching the Columbia River, 20 miles to the north. Terrible Tilly is no longer in service, but I cannot help but envision the warnings it provided to mariners sailing those dangerous waters.  In this painting I'm portraying an old-time wooden fishing boat carefully skirting the treacherous rocks while it strives for the safety of deeper water on the west side of the lighthouse.  The two crewmen on deck are taking a moment away from baiting hooks and other fishing preparation to glance toward the awesome sight of a huge wave crashing through the slot between the main lighthouse rock and the other nearby rock.