Results included information about a new type of movie camera, ideal for use with U Tube, on web sites and being reminded that tonight is the first night of the famous fete de Vaour.

Jean Marie (on the right in the photo here with Francis ands Alain Maroule) wants to make a film about The Art of Gordon Frickers, how I work and has already started filming sequences that may be useful.

Jean-Marie is a talented still and motion picture photographer, a very amusing person to be around, funny and full of good ideas and also a talented musician.

We discussed my proposed visit to the Monaco Yacht Show in September and the replica frigate Hermione building and almost ready to launch at Rochefort sur Mer.

I intend to visit the Hermione very soon, possibly with Peter Goodwin, author of some 12 authorative books on historical ships (5 more in the making) and keeper of HMS Victory for some 20 years thus the man and talent responsible for the superb restoration to her 1805 condition of HMS Victory.

The Fete de Vaour is famous though out southern France for its live entertainment and wonderful atmosphere, good food, picnicking on the grass, beautiful sunsets, live music and live theater, a meeting place for artisans and the likes of us.

Alain Maroule of Domaine Barry (www.domainedubarry.fr) and Alain of the Hotel du Nord will be there too.

Meanwhile Castelnau de Montmiral is preparing for its major musical festival this week end, 12th to 15th.

Music on the Esplanade will include a disco by Menergy, live music by Kawa, California, TNT, with restauration and Bodega in the square.

The 15th also schedules 9 to 19.00 a Foire au Miel, artisan’s products in a market, products of the terrior – region and an evening dinner together in the open air music by Seranade.

All these ‘fetes’ are free to enter.

Musicians are arriving in their trucks and caravans at CdM, fairy lights are being put up; you get the idea?

This Alert would look similar to but significantly larger than the beautiful French replica based at the corsair city of St Malo, Le Rennard and shown above in one of Gordon Frickers marine photographs

As many of of you have contributed to my work, I’d like to share it with you here along with my reply.

Peter wrote:

Gordon Frickers artiste – Peintre 81170 Itzac ~ yep that was it; nothing else and yet the letter (or should I say lettre?) arrived all be it eventually.

Andre Lafargue’s letter reminded my of some thing I read very recently about Horatio Nelson while researching Nelson’s time in the frigate Minerve, I was reading in a book by the noted poet Robert Southey (born 1774).
Robert Southey was also a reliable and versatile writer, including his “The life of Nelson”, first published in 1813.

The story goes, in the days before Horatio Nelson was world famous and not yet an Admiral, he established a formidable reputation at least in Italy, while a captain serving around Italy.
Southey wrote of Nelson, (page 92 in my copy) “A letter came to him directed “Horatio Nelson, Genoa:” and the writer when asked how he could direct it so vaguely, replied, “Sir, there is but one Horatio Nelson in the world”.

We know my art work is much undervalued so has huge investment potential, but a comparison with the rising star of Nelson? To much flattery!

~

Many of the books on Nelson either don’t mention his time on Minerve (some times wrongly refered to as La Minerve) or barely mention it.
And yet the Minerve voyage was a curtain raiser, Minerve lead directly to Nelson’s becoming a famous celebrity in Britain, a knighthood and appointment as Rear Admiral.
I was researching for an article I shall write soon for this blog and my web site about Horatio Nelson, how Nelson’s character is revealed when he sailed on the frigate Minerve, while in the Mediterranean under orders to evacuate British bases.

My new Minerve marine painting shows Nelson at Gibraltar, 10th December 1776 when he transferred from HMS Captain so a bargain!

You have 2 Nelson ships for the price of one!

Minerve as a marine painting has been created from a sketch I drew many years ago one evening over a beer at the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club where for many happy days my family and I were members.
At the suggestion of my friend Chris Boddington it has been adapted for this new work of art.
Adapting has been some what more complicated than I first expected.
Besides extensive re reading and consulting my mate Peter Goodwin on some aspects, I even visited by special arrangement, Her Majesty’s Hydrographic Office at Taunton (see this blog, November 2009) to see period charts and maps of Gibraltar bay.

I also found loads of faults and omissions (mostly very forgivable) in other artist’s paintings and am some what on my metal because I will have to show an unusual amount of rigging with most mind boggling accuracy, well at least it boggled my mind!

The Minerve painting is a continuation of my series, Nelson, Trafalgar, the less known but interesting aspects, originally commenced as a special commission to help raise funds for HMS Victory’s restoration to her Trafalgar condition ready for 2005.
In those days I had the unique honour of carrying a letter of introduction from the then commander of HMS Victory.
Wow did that open doors and archives, fascinating!

Some times research takes a much unexpected turn.
In the case of this painting, several including with regard to the colour of the yellow strip on Nelson’s ships.
My painting of Minerve may be, thanks especially to the research of Peter Goodwin, who you may know as curator of HMS Victory and author of may authoritive, factual  marine books,  the first ever to have the yellow exactly to Nelson’s ordered recipe / formula.
Peter Goodwin found a letter from Nelson specifying the mix and asked me to make some tests which I did, posting the results and notes to Peter.
One of the results is probably 98% of the paintings of Nelson’s ships have the wrong colour including my earlier efforts!
Don’t believe me? Compare for yourself!

That alone makes this new marine painting rather special does it not?

I intend showing this new marine art featuring Minerve and Captain to several galleries for their guidance and retaining it as one of the centre pieces of my forthcoming exhibition next year by invitation of the European Parliament.

Unless some one (again – I recently ‘lost’ Talybius this way…) makes me an offer I can’t refuse!

A few days ago and there is a joke in here some where,  I received an email dated February 23, now why did that arrive so late?

The subject, an enquiry, was “H.M. Schooner “Pickle“, carrying the news of the Battle of Trafalgar ~PurchasePrint : yes ~ Message : On prestige cotton canvass~ Message entered from : H.M. Schooner “Pickle“, carrying the news of the Battle of Trafalgar.

You can see and read more of the extra ordinary research and story of  Pickle and this wonderful and renowned picture on web site page http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/urgent_dispatches.html.

Curiously, ironically, given the delay, the joke maybe is this marine print is entitled “I have urgent dispatches“.

This dramatic picture shows HMS Pickle in heavy weather, her equally dramatic dispatch indicated by Pickle flying flags 2214, an 1805 (Admiral Popham’s) code signal when speaking en route with HMS Nautilus, Pickle then carrying  the news which stunned the British nation and is still referred to by the French as “le catastrophe de Trafalgar” .

You may be aware, Pickle is the famous schooner that carried the news of the death of Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar.

Pickle’s voyage was re enacted in 2005 and she is celebrated in the Royal Navy every year on the anniversary of her arrival off Falmouth, Cornwall, 4th October 1805, at the New York Yacht Club and many other venues world wide so now you too have an excuse for a nautically themed party, maybe unveiling your new copy of the acclaimed painting “I have urgent dispatches”!

You can if you wish order yourself a  copy of this historic and renowned picture quickly and easily using Paypal from page

http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html

When the original painting of “I have urgent dispatches” was finished, my family decided we should have a Pickle party and what a party it turned out to be?

Among our distinguished guests we had 2 square rig captains and the curator of HMS Victory, Peter Goodwin.

We also had thanks to Martin Bibbings of the Trafalgar Gun Company and Nick Dalton of the Maria Asumpta, 2 live cannon which Martin described as the ultimate executive toys.

Our guns capable of firing a 1 pound ball 3 miles, where loaned for the evening from Maria Asumpta and duly cermoniously fired.

Although by the standard of the Georgian Navy they were considered pop guns they made enough very satisfying noise for people around Plymouth to our great glee saying the next day, “there were very load fireworks last night…”

The back blast even broke a window of my house!.

Of course such dangerous weapons must and were handled by experts and with great care.

These same people fascinated the children by allowing them to go through the motions of loading the guns and gave Victory’s curator Peter Goodwin, his first taste of firing a live cannon; a taste he is now some what addicted to!

I painted “I have urgent dispatches” as part of a project to raise funds for HMS Victory.

I chose Pickle partly because I felt while it is hard for modern people to understand the ships of Nelson’s time (unless you visit HMS Victory at Portsmouth but beware, it may be a life changing event!) , I felt Pickle was the sort of size of vessel modern yachtsmen could relate to.

Pickle was the kind of ship which if seen today in port many might say, ‘what a beautiful big ship’ and yet in her day she was considered tiny and only worth a lieutenant to command, not worth a Post Captain…

Luckily for all concerned in the case of this enquiry, the gentleman had included his full contact details so I phoned him a as soon as I found the late email and spoke with his very charming receptionist.

A few days later we spoke man to man and an interesting conversation it was too.

He said he owns a yacht named, go on, guess?

YES!, Pickle!

Why? Well why not own a yacht if you can run to that?

In this case the former owner twice removed was my old friend Admiral Bob Gerkin.

Bob was naturally known in the Navy as “Pickle” hence the name of the yacht.

So why contact Gordon Frickers Marine Artist?

Yes you are probably ahead of me!

Having seen the picture “I have Urgent Dispatches” of HMS Pickle, on my web site this gentleman decided one of my Prestige quality prints on cotton canvas would make a welcome and appropriate addition to the interior of his yacht Pickle.

True to his word, a few days later a very welcome message was recieved from PayPal,

22 Mar 2010 19:49:07 GMT

Hello G S A Frickers,

A/ Standard Size Prestige Limited Edition Print on Cotton Canvas of “I have Urgent Dispatches”
Item Number ********************

You received a payment of £147.00 GBP
Thanks for using PayPal. You can now send any items. To see all the transaction details, log in to your PayPal account.

Thus another copy of “I have urgent dispatches” will be despatched soon; to what I hope you agree is a most appropriate home?

For a picture of enduring worth, it is quick, easy  and very secure to order any print from our collectors range by visiting web page

http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html

Good luck to you and enjoy.

~

P.S. By the way, The Trafalgar Collection, paintings by Gordon Frickers,  are now after some 15 years, up for sale.

This is a unique opportunity to by a set of well researched Nelsonian paintings.

The owners will consider offers from £10,000.00 per painting but would prefere the set to be sold as a set.

If interested, contact Gordon Frickers

There have been some significant developments in this marine painting  including Gordon Frickers is able to be the first, here to show  some results of collaboration, new research into the quality of the bright yellow preferred by Nelson on his ships, more on that below…

This new marine painting is beginning to come to life with the basic structure now complete.

The ships are anchoured and moored much as they would have been following research into the original charts of the time by the artist with special thanks to the staff of H.M. Hydrographic Office Taunton for their very generous welcome and full co operation.

Still to be added, many more people, the port of Gibraltar we can safely guess,  was a busy place in Nelson’s day?

The sea still needs much work, the artist’s intention being to show a calm sea with a S W swell entering the bay, the wind having backed to a light N.E. breeze.

The harbour is yet to be populated with numerous busy small craft some under sail others under oar including some of distinctively Mediterranean types.

Plus if you used the pop up facility clicking on the picture above, I doubt if the facts escaped your notice re the lack of rigging on the ships show?

~

Following research by Peter Goodwin, Keeper and Curator of HMS Victory and author of much merit, a “recipe” was found recently in a letter from Horatio Nelson for the mix of Nelson’s bright yellow.

We may be seeing the correct colour for the first time since living memory; which means the ship Victory may have her stripes repainted.

You may be aware, following the dry docking of the then rather rotten HMS Victory and her first 20th century major overhaul in 1921/2 (partly paid for by the excellent Society of Nautical Research) HMS Victory had her white “Victorian Navy” stripes painted bright yellow because the people of the time referred to her bright yellow warlike stripes.

Fine except bright yellow in 1922 was a chrome yellow not available until about 1820 by which time you may have already deduced, Horatio Nelson had had his last day…

During the 1990’s and following a long discussion between this artist and Peter Goodwin on the origins and nature of paint, not as anorak ish as it first sounds because this was to influence a sight seen by a million plus visitors to HM Historic Dockyard Portsmouth per year,  Peter was eventually able to convince the authorities and experts that  they used the wrong yellow.

Peter is a very remarkable man who has to deal with ministries, government departments, old guard, know alls, jobworths etc.

How he does that is a story in its self!

Happily he does have some first rate colleagues who given sufficient evidence will support his some times “radical” discoveries and requests.

HMS Victory may be in for another repaint soon, can you guess why?

I’d had a problem with this yellow business for a long time.

I’d noticed a remark of Nelson’s which requested his captains immediately before Trafalgar to paint the bands on their masts black to distinguish their ships (in the smoke and confusion of battle ) from the French who guess what, had white masts…

Now why would Nelson write that if the mast of the British fleet were yellow?

I have not yet spoken again with Peter about this side issue given his latest discover re the yellow used but I have a theory for Peter…

~

The change of subject for the original sketch was suggested by Chris Boddington after he saw a Gordon Frickers original sketch in 2009.

The original sketch that inspired this marine painting was drawn one evening in 1998 in the lounge of the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club where incidentally there are two fine original examples of Gordon Frickers marine art in that lounge commissioned by and owned by the club.

The original sketch was exploring ideas for a scene during the voyage of the French explorer, navigator and discoverer, Laperouse.

In particular his visit to Botany Bay, Australia, a subject I am soon to return to having recently completed much extensive research and become a member last year of L’Association Laperouse, which is based on Laperouse home town of Albi in S W France…

There is a selection of books we can highly recommend because

A. they feature Gordon Frickers marine painting and

B. they are excellent book (not that we are biased, much), see page

http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/trafalgar.html

The books can be ordered via that page from Amazon.

The original of Trafalgar Dawn was sold about 15 years ago to a private collection however the owner has indicated he is now open to offers.

Offers can be made via Mr. 10% on this web site!

More affordable, Trafalgar Dawn is available as a superb quality numbered, signed, Prestige edition on printed canvas, from page
http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html
where it can be ordered 100%  securely using Paypal or by a direct bank to bank transfer.

The new Trafalgar Dawn is in an advanced stage of research and pre sketching following visits to research at Portsmouth and in Paris last December (as mentioned in this blog, early December).
As for

Nelson at Gibraltar, you can follow the development of this painting on this blog.

The painting has evolved from a drawing Gordon Frickers  made one evening in 1998 while in the member’s lounge of the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club.

Gordon was a very active member of the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club for many years and the club has 2 magnificent marine paintings of his in it’s collection.

One features the Royal Yacht Britannia HRH Queen Elizabeth disembarking, to visit Plymouth, the other shows a typical Spring Series race of the period and is very rich in details.

That original sketch was intended as an idea for a painting of the French navigator and discoverer Laperouse entering Botany Bay.

The Laperouse painting is an other currently under development after a long interval.

Gordon was researching for the Laperouse painting and Nelson at Gibraltar last November at H.M. Hydrographic Office, Taunton,  and another reason he was in Paris and at the Muse de Laperouse, Albi (Laperouse home town).

A friend of his, Chris Boddington former very successful lawyer and a skilled painter in his own right, saw the sketch last summer and suggested it would work well as a painting of Nelson transferring from HMS Captain to HMS Minerve at Gibraltar so guess what?

Since the attached pic was taken, the composition and colouring have advanced significantly.

There will be a new blog entry on this painting of Nelson and Gibraltar  in the next few days.

~

Also currently for re sale, given an offer they can’t refuse,  by clients of Gordon Frickers are the following Marine Paintings, several quite famous,  (by the way we should mention, prices often with paintings are the reverse of most cars so re sale prices are likely to be considerably more than the vendors paid or the current price of new paintings direct from the artist):

“H.M. Schooner “Pickle”, carrying the news of the Battle of Trafalgar”

“Nelson’s Column”

“Trafalgar Dawn”

“First Shots, Trafalgar”

“Nelson’s Pickle, first with the news”

“Ferriera” ex “Cutty Sark”, “Last Departure” (mentioned on this blog, 27.01.10)

~

Another  email was an invitation to go on a Dutch gallery web site ( for a fee).
The site seems to feature mostly Russian artists, some quite good.
It has no marine artist.
It did have an interesting link to a gallery in California, that set Gordon thinking…
He does not  have a list of galleries which might be worth approaching, should he have one?
Can you recommend any galleries?

Peter is very concerned that there are structural problems in Victory caused by poor repairs and the committees responsible are not listening to him …

Thus I was able to bring Peter some moral support and light relief with some marine news.

I’d previously emailed Peter Goodwin as discussed when I last visited HMS Victory last December (see blog entry 5 Dec http://www.frickers.co.uk/blog/2009/12/05/portsmouth-hms-victory-and-pickle/.
My email had not arrived, just as well I phone today?
I had attached a draft letter of introduction worded as nearly as I can recall, to the original from Captain Mike Cheshire, the then commander of HMS Victory.
The original letter was on official ship’s stationary and would have been dated about May 1995.

The letter  was unique, an honour, more it was very useful, opening doors all over Europe greatly aiding  my research for HMS Victory.
It enabled me to access many rare documents and artifacts in turn leading to some ground breaking research.

I was greeted with enthusiasm and given unlimited co operation in places as far afield as Liverpool, Madrid, London and San Sebastian Naval Base, Brest and Cadiz, Paris and Plymouth.

Unfortunately I left the original with the marine Museum in Madrid and can’t find the last copy I had.
I’d like to show some thing with the above date on my web site as part of the Trafalgar project.

It would also be very helpful to have an up dated copy similar or same wording from Peter Goodwin to use during current ongoing research.

For example, last month I was in the Musee Marine National, Paris.
While they were polite, no one was very helpful, an opportunity missed.
Next Month I will be in Brest around the 12th 15th and possibly visit La Hermione so a new letter would be most helpful.

My addresses are:

Gordon Frickers
41a Oak Tree Park
Glenholt
Plymouth
Devon
PL6 7JZ

Gordon Frickers
Les Lilas, ITZAC
81170 CORDES, France

Alert and Lexington

We know the British cutter Alert captured the American brig, commerce raider, Lexington.

I have made a start by re reading various books here.

While I don’t have anything on Alert, I did make a little progress re Lexington.
It appears Lexington was a converted merchant ship.
As far as I can tell from the preliminary research, no plan or reliable illustration exists of her so we have a clean shot at this.

Peter offered to contact colleagues at  the National Maritime Museum Greenwich (London) as the National Maritime Museum Greenwich archives may have a plan of Lexington.
After capture Lexington was brought into the Royal Naval Dockyard, Plymouth so was very likely measured and had her lines taken as was the custom at Plymouth in those days.

You probably know, it appears she was a typical American trader of her period.
I have quite a lot of colour pictures of such ships here.
I have not as yet searched the Internet or raised this with my friends in the U.S.A. or other possible sources.

As for a painting, I am happy to produce one on “spec”, to be used in any way we think helpful, as usual I’m open to ideas.
I can start painting as soon as you wish, anytime after the end of February would be good.
Thus the sooner we can sort out our ideas the sooner I can begin sketches for us to discuss.
If you have the time I’d like to get started ASAP, before I am to involved in the coming exhibition at the European Parliament (date to be set, possibly mid May as that is European Sea Week).

Other marine news

Last week I attended a meeting of the L’association Laperouse.
There are several opportunities there which may interest you?

You are probably aware Laperouse was the French answer to James Cook?
The society has a good web site including copy in various languages.

The society is very active and in touch with museums at many places Laperouse ships visited.
I wrote up the evening on my blog, http://www.frickers.co.uk/blog/, 22 January.

Possibly the most interesting news for you and I though is the society has:
Good connections in France and abroad.
The senior people appreciate they are getting old and are concerned to find younger people to “take over”.
They wish to seek links with other European societies and museums of the great and pioneering explorers and navigators.

This with the aim of a joint presentation to the European Parliament for funds.

The present Museum is in the old quarter of Albi, Laperouse home town.
The Museum is interesting and constantly being improved.
However they are quite unaware of your marvelous work on Victory and as the Museum is about the same size of one of Laperouse ships, there are possible opportunities…?

I look forward to your thoughts on the above.

Very best wishes to you and Katie,

Gordon

P.S.

We spoke of cabin interior colour schemes, in particular the use of natural wood  and white paint in Nelson’s cabins.

After, and you may have thought of this before, I remembered when working years ago on the model of George Anson’s famous Centurion (the ship which captured the greatest treasure ever taken at sea) at the NMM Greenwich I was shown how they had put an endoscope (the sort of camera surgeons use) inside some of the models and been amazed to find many had the interiors painted in the styles of the time even though once the model was complete no one was likely to ever see the details again.

Maybe some new research here would help you with the cabin interiors of Victory?
As a trained photographer, if it helps, I’d be happy to help interpret the pictures obtained.
We might well find enough new information for hours and beers of discussion and to support a definitive point for the benefit of  HMS Victory!

Just back from an awesome visit to Portsmouth brought about by one of my “icon” marine paintings, “I have urgent dispatches“  http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/urgent_dispatches.html,  WOT! you don’t have a copy in your collection yet? and it is going to be shown on TV? ~ available exclusively from this site as a limited signed edition.

Yesterday morning I joined Tom Cunliffe and the Forum Film team boarding HMS Victory at 07.30 to film part of an episode of “The boats that built Britain“,  and was pinching myself by 08.00 in the Admiral’s great cabin wondering if this was really happening… 

The setting has been returned to as close as the best modern research can get it, mostly by Peter Goodwin and his team, to the condition it was in when occupied by Admiral Horatio Nelson (you may have heard of Admiral Horatio Nelson?).

I found myself at 07.30 on a chilly December morning, in Nelson’s day cabin being asked about the mind set of the sailors after the battle of Trafalgar and giving a character reference for Lt Lapenotiere of HM Schooner Pickle (he of possibly the most miss pronounced miss spelt name in British naval history) ~ and this was to go on National TV?!

I have a huge respect for the achievements of the men of that period, feel the ship is still visited by their spirit, even felt contacts with them while painting “Trafalgar Dawn” (http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/trafalgar_dawn.html) which is mentioned in Trafalgar Dawn, further reading (picture available as a signed edition exclusively from this web site).

This all in a good cause, for the forthcoming BBC C4 documentary series “The boats that built Britain“, due to be first shown in Britain in the spring of 2010.

It is an amazing experience to be on HMS Victory early in the morning when only Victory’s  Royal Navy staff are present. 

Forum Films (address below)  had me flown Toulouse to Gatwick (before you jump to conclusions,  I’m not that grand a film star, no private jet, I used Easyjet) where I hired a nice silver Seat Leon from Europcar and drove through a very wet and some times flooded Sussex countryside via Midhurst and Chichester to Portsmouth where I found sunshine.

I was “billeted” in a guest house in the old town, run by an hospitable ex merchant navy chef RP Stewart,  “The Sailmaker’s Loft”, with fine views of the harbour and lots of pubs and restaurants nearby.

Up at 06.15 I had to be at the Unicorn Gate of the Royal Naval Base by 07.15 for security passes.

Tom Cunliffe is a big man in many ways, hugely experienced sailor, author, expert on pilot boats etc.

Tom Cunliffe is an excellent interviewer, thoughtful, focused and enthusiastic.

You can read Tom Cunliffe’s  profile on the Yachting World web site,  Tom Cunliffe is a regular contributor.

The rest of the team were equally professional, I was amazed at the director’s ability to carry his script mostly in his head and while himself filming, to keep us on course when inevitably the huge subject took us off on a tangent!

Our few hours flew by and by “time up” we were all wishing we might have more time together on the subject and there was talk of further meetings, maybe another joint project like the war of 1812…

I did not have breakfast on Victory, just as well when you see how tiny Victory’s restored galley is, the work of her brilliant, eccentric and dogged Curator, Peter Goodwin.  

Hard to imagine though, that 850 hungry seamen were fed via that galley and the iron cooking range alongside it ~ the  range is x 4 bigger than the galley!

I was treated to a good cuppa in the wardroom, the mug marked “HMS Victory” with Emma Newland Press Officer, Fleet Media to keep me company.

This respite also gave time to speak to the Victory’s current commander and to the officer of the day.

They seem of the opinion the ship should have a copy of my work onboard and the CPO mess a copy of I have urgent dispatches as the CPO mess at Portsmouth originated “Pickle Night” (4 Nov).

How do you think that felt at 08.30 on a December morning?

This though was only the start of an amazing day, next I phoned my friend and colleague Peter Goodwin, who’s quaint job title “Keeper and curator of HMS Victory” conceals a man devoted to the ship and period, author of 12 acclaimed books on ships of the period, sailor, engineer, detective, a man not afraid to confront and challenge an often intransient establishment with new (well founded) research  which unsettles cherished views …  

It has been my privilege and pleasure to work on a series of paintings with Peter Goodwin for HMS Victory, first together as far back as 1993.

I learnt loads from Peter and in turn was able to contribute some ideas and information mostly about paint and paintings, which artist’s, which parts of which paintings are reliable and why,  which greatly aided his researching, (Peter said I “opened his eyes to the possibilities of paintings“) also encouraging and inspiring other significant ideas, a process which happily still continues to our mutual benefit.

The paintings are viewable on this web site, several can be seen on page

http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/war_ships.html

Some of the others are in the archive section, 2 are avaiable as time limited signed numbered editions exclusive to this web site.

Peter Goodwin generously stopped his regular work to give me a lengthy tour of his work on the ship, thoroughly updating me from my previous visit 18 months before.

We also discussed future projects ~ as Peter colourfully put it, “at this point in life which appears from my perspective a time when we really start  producing our best, sound sustainable work, when we attain less fears and critics can simply sod off“.

We have several projects in mind, including the contrary view to compliment my “Trafalgar Dawn” (one of the reasons I am going soon to the Musee Marine, Paris) as part of my Victory 2005 series, the war of 1812 and a favourite of Peter Goodwin’s   the Alert cutter and Lexington  brig engagement (he wrote the Anatomy of a ship book on “Alert”)

I was last in H.M. Dockyard Portsmouth for BAE Systems (Surface Fleet Solutions) preparing a painting of the Type 23 frigate, Ex HMS Marlborough for the Chilean Government who had the frigate converted to their requirements and renamed Almirante Condell.

You can read more of that amazing and very successful painting by following the links on page

http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/condell_portsmouth.html

I have to go to Paris tomorrow (a showcase at the British Ambassador’s Residence) so will write up the rest of this day for you when I get back, along with several other back dated stories such as an outing to the Tavistock Inn on Dartmoor with a “Jane Banks” connection…

To much has been happening to fast for me of late…

Form Films

15 Charlecote Mews

Winchester

SO23 8SR

Tel: 01962 870 173

http://formfilms.co.uk

I am a marine artist who at one time worked for for several years to help raise funds and interest HMS Victory, hence the link.
I carried a letter of introduction from the then commander of HMS Victory, Michael Cheshire and worked closely with Peter Goodwin the keeper and curator of HMS Victory.

You can see my work at www.frickers.co.uk including much on the battle of Trafalgar and Admiral Nelson themes.

In particular see pages related to http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/war_ships.html

A mate in the Royal Naval Air Service forwarded this email to me:
Michael Ellis <slovpro@hotmail.com>

A message from Nipper Ellis (64 / 67) For the past 4 yrs my retired neighbour, Bob Pearce, has been making a scaled down model of HMS VICTORY.
Sadly, due to personal circumstances he needs to sell it on.

This ship model of HMS Victory is a wonderful model that would adorn any study / sitting room, indeed, form a backdrop to a restaurant, pub or similar establishment.

Dimensions: Actual Ship: 51ins x 35ins x 17ins.

The Display Case with hood and internal lighting: 52.5ins x 42.5 inchs x 19ins
He is asking £1200 ovno.

If you are interested either send me an email or call Bob on 020 8580 4543.
Thans
(Nipper Ellis)