There will also be a a piece in the Plymouth Evening Herald ~ (circulation about 250,000) by Tristan Nicholls of whom some including David Folley say “the best journalist on the Herald”  about the new large marine painting Plymouth Cattewater and the invitation to exhibit next year at the European Parliament in Brussels. 

The photo here is a different view of the the Cattewater, River Plym, Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club from which I used to sail in former family days and looks towards the east shore and my former home at Plymstock.

Besides visiting familiar places and there is more to tell!

On the recommendation of Ian Criddle and Nigel Overton who viewed the original marine painting of Plymouth Cattewater, I have a probable invitation to exhibit at the Plymouth City Museum who are interested in piping the European Parliament to the post.

It was also said having failed to exhibit most of Plymouth’s famous artists during their life time ~ hang on , Plymouth’s famous artists you querie that?

OK, here are a very few, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Beryl Cook, Robert Lencavitz, Alan Cotton, Tim Thompson; the list is a long one and visitors who loved Plymouth include J M W Turner.

Thus I consider to be even mentioned in the same breath as those people an honour I am thrilled to merit!

~

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

The frame alone will cost some £500.00

The painting as you can see from previous blog entries is progressing steadily.

My intention in the background is to show a busy scene, a lot of activity, a lot of life.

Unlike many marine painters, I am not shy of including people going about their daily tasks.

I think this could be partly because I am facinated by working people and partly thanks to my excellent professional training as an artist and Art Photographer.

I am some times reminded when I see  would be struggling artists (with whom I have much sympathy and always try to encourage) of John Constable’s amusing if cruel remark about self taught artists, roughly he said, ‘when I see a  self taught artist I am aware he was taught by a very ignorant person…’

Moving back to less  controversial ground, some of this work is produced wet on wet, in this case a recent example is the way the sea is painted.

There will be more work on the sea,  however the basic underlying painting is now in place showing a calm day and swell from the South West while the breeze has backed to North West as indicated by the craft shown sailing and will later be further indicated as the sea surface is completed.

At other times, particularly now detail is beginning to be added, I have to wait for paint to dry.

You can seen the beginnings of fine detail, rigging and other delicate art work appearing and maybe begin to guess how the finished art work will appear?

There are still many many hours of work before this marine painting which has also to be an historic document is completed, for example the Minerve has no gun ports yet.

There will also be some surprises yet to show, in this painting when finished…

We can though begin to see some of the crew of Minerve and the crew of Nelson’s boat and what they are about including a marine guard and some of the crew drawn up to receive Nelson, none of the figures though are as yet finished.

Each figure will be a personality, clothing, hair styles etc all have to be as correct for the period as possible.

The plan is to include much fine detail but arrange this marine painting to view well from any distance thus making it a very worthy addition to any collection of fine paintings.

I have a number of copies of portraits of Horatio Nelson and intend he will be recognisable as a figure in the stern sheets of the longboat.

The intention is to record the day Nelson transferred from HMS Captain, a 74 gun ship of the line (middle background) to HMS Minerve a frigate, French built.

Of the occasion, Nelson wrote to his wife, don’t worry, I am off on a special mission but it is not dangerous.

Little did Nelson know the adventures that lay ahead included him almost being captured.

Such was the dangerous life lead by so many men during the Revolutionary and  Napoleonic Wars…

~

What is the purpose and future for this marine painting of a bygone age?

I learnt so much about the Georgian navy back in the 1990’s when I had the unique privilege of working for HMS Victory so it seems a pity not to share, use and enjoy that experience.

This picture of Nelson started life as a sketch I drew one evening in 1998 at the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club while thinking through ideas for a scene from the voyage of the French navigator and discoverer Laperouse, at Botany bay, a painting I expect to produce this year.

Much more recently a friend and fellow painter, Chris Boddington suggested adapting the scene along the lines we now see.

It was a useful suggestion because The Trafalgar Collection, owned for the past 15 or so years by 2 gentlemen in London is now being offered for sale, prices from £10,000.00, and they asked if I might paint a  more scenes to add to the collection.

I also have a second version of the renowned “Trafalgar Dawn“, now ready to mark out, the opposite view, from the Combined Fleet…

I don’t yet know the future of this unsold painting however it could be a fine example to show at the exhibition offered me at the European Parliament, a show I have had to put off until next year mostly because of difficulties securing appropriate dates.

On the other hand, if some one makes me an offer I can’t refuse (which happened with the original “Trafalgar Dawn“)…

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?

I am still exchanging emails  re the European Parliament Marine Art Exhibition at Brussels.

Also on the stunning moon rises I saw from the beach last autumn at Hossigur.

You may not believe it to see the attached pop up progress report but, the scene will show the emigrant clipper Samuel Plimsoll and the (now demolished) emigration buildings at Phoenix Wharf.

Of all the boats I owned the one I miss most is Wellington, Wayfarer 6778, pictures here at Bodinnick Ferry, Fowey, Cornwall.

At last I am able to again  accept offers of exhibitions!

Despite and because of the severe weather making roads all but impassable and much other activity difficult,  I have finally catalogued the framed marine prints here. 

One at least is still missing, where is it?

All the marine paintings and marine prints in the store room, landscapes, aviation paintings and others remaining unlisted since I sold my home of 22 years in Plymouth are now listed and HURRAH for that.

Plus many of the prints that were out on loan, to the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club, Mount Batten Watersport Centre and others “exiled” have been ingathered.

The Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club still retain and rightly, the 2 beautiful 24″ x 36″ paintings by my hand, in their member’s lounge.

Those were commissioned when Captain Paul Willerton (MN) was Commodore.

The then committee having under Paul Willerton’s very able leadership, steered the club through a difficult period into brighter days wished to commemorate for future generations, some thing of the club then.

Hence the 2 fine paintings, one of an event involving  HM the Queen and Royal Yacht Britannia, the other club racing on the home waters of  Plymouth Sound.

I still have a problem recovering paintings from Gallerie Marin, Appledore.

Audrey Hinks is not answering my messages and has not paid me for a painting she said she sold in Feb 2009…

Audrey was always very enthusiatic about my work, sold lots, the best gallery owner I associated with so I am fearful for her health and well being, she is a lovely person but getting on a bit, any news would be welcome…

Anyone from Plymouth going to Appledore and able to help?

This ingathering of my “children” is basically in preparation for a new strategy to show and sell more often in both England and France.

The catalyst has partly been the invitation to show my marine painting at the European Parliament, Brussels.

The news is causing much interest and some excitement already and of course is a great stimulant for any artist.

I am told I am the first marine artist, first artist from Midi Pyrenees, first from Plymouth and definitely the first from Itzac to be invited to show at the European Parliament, really, ever ever!

~

The weather here has brighted up. 

Temperatures have remained below zero all day.

I suppose if most of us think of wine and vines at all we think of vinyards basking in warm sunshine?

Right now we here in the Tarn have vinyards blanketed in snow! 

Ditches are decorated with cars and vans so all is very peaceful if some what chilly.

~

The time today has been well used though, reorganising my stock of marine prints and paintings.

There is a list of the  prints below, the paintings list is not yet complete, maybe tomorrow?

Over recent years numerous exhibition offers have been declined, so which offer and where will be first to be accepted after this re grouping?

I have been just to busy and stressed to cope.

However the prospect of an exhibition at the EuroP has raised my status (a huge thank you to the MEP responsible!).

It seems I am now flavour of the month?

Even the blindest of galleries can now see value in showing an exhibition that has just come from the EuroParli… well well well…

Of course you and I know, this has nothing to do with my work improving or what ever.

One can see the same dedication in paintings and drawings from 20 and 30 years earlier so what is this all about?

Granted I am now much better know, even a little famous.

I doubt that is what is making the difference though.

I think it has much more to do with the quality of the people I am now able to meet, partly thanks to this amazing medium, the Internet.

Do you have an opinion on this?

~

As I write this evening, the temperature here at Itzac  is – 6 C this evening.

The day has been very pleasant, quite a lot of sun, surprisingly warm when one is out of the wind. 

Still not warm enough to thaw any ice.

Tomorrow we are fore cast to have + 5 C, enough to make a difference, you tell me?

~

Gradually the problem of cataloguing my marine prints and marine paintings is being sorted, my excellent friend Francoise Boitel being very supportive and helping “organise” me today.

All the prints have been listed and re packaged, packaging being marked to save time in the future.

Not “rocket science”, time consuming but an investment.

Next on this agenda will be the landscape paintings followed by the paintings currently unframed and unlisted on my web site.

I have some exciting experimental landscapes to show and set pieces like the study of the “Flying Scotsman on the Tamar Bridge” (I K Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge) with Pullman coaches Available in print but not yet on the web site so email me for details.

I’ll try and post the news as soon as I have it.

~

Christmas is coming, or so I am told?

To late now to order a gift from my print list  for Christmas …

see

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

I heard today from Richard at the Tavistock Inn, Poundsgate, Dartmoor,  re his copy of the picture of “Jane Banks entering Bermuda” (you may recall Jane Banks was the final running mate of the more famous Waterwitch (both now available as prints exclusively from this web site).

Richard texted: “the picture picked up and your right it looks like an original.

I’m absolutely thrilled with it.

I’m sure my mother will be  too when she visits  me tomorrow“.

List of available framed prints follows below (soon that is).

~

Winter solstice on the 21st, or in more pagan terms, paganus meaning rural as we all know, the moment of rebirth, regrowth…
Itzac is ready, charmingly decorated by devoted villagers.

I don’t know how old the lavatoire shown here is, do you? 

People have been using the lavatoire for how many generations, since pre Roman times maybe?
I guess in former times it was one of the centeres of village life, how many clothes washed and tales were told there?

I’ve not seen anyone using it recently in this weather…  

I have noticed a double earthen bank astride the road that runs into the village.
No one knows the earth works origin, that includes the + 80 plus year olds who’s first language is not French it is L’Occiataine.
The double banks and some other features here look to me reminiscent of a bronze age hill top settlement, pre Christian, pre Gallic, pre Gaulic, pre Gaillac, pre Gaelic what ever, you tell me maybe?
No one has ever investigated remote, tanquile Itzac.
Now Hanukkah is past and Christmas 2009 is almost upon us, soon it will be new year, time to rejoice and move ahead!
December is ebbing away fast?
Are we heading for a white Christmas with snow bells? 
God only knowing what we’re heading for?

~

Oh, and that list of the prints you can’t have for Christmas?

Prints in frames        Dec-09        Stock list

Title                                              size inc frame                             details

Ice Maiden                                        730 x 625        No .284 ~ signed by Tracy Edwards
I have urgent dispatches            860 x 760        Artist’s proof 5
A dispute settled                            870 x 660        No 1
I have urgent dispatches            670 x 600        Nos. 2, 16
Roaring Forties                               740 x 600        Nos. 23, 24, 31 ~ signed by R K-J
Mauretania                                       820 x 690        Artist’s proof 2
Royal Yacht Britannia                 720 x 630        No. 46 & artist’s proof XIII
Vagrant off Cowes                          445 x 340        open edition
A dispute settled                            445 x 340        open edition
Advocate off Cape Town             445 x 340        open edition
Cutty Sark and Thermopylae    445 x 340    open edition
Seal of Aproval                               445 x 340        open edition
Port of Chester 1863                     720 x 530        Nos. 1, 203, 302 ~ signed by the mayor of Chester
Trees in a breeze                             690 x 600        artist’s proof
Trees in a breeze                             610 x 520        artist’s proof
Waterwitch off Gribben Head    760 x 590        No. 9
Trafalgar Dawn                                 1150 x 530    No. 10
Roaring Forties                                980 x 780        No. 5, ~ signed by R K-J
I have urgent dispatches              870 x 760     Artist’s proof 4
Jane Banks entering Bermuda    760 x 590        No. 2 ~ at The ArtCentre, Kell Bray, Cornwall

List of paintings in stock and unframed prints available soon, whoppee?

~

And the best way to move around the Tarn at present remains …

This Plymouth scene is not a long story but goes back a long way.

Here is a progress report including sketches to date.

The painting was inspired by often seeing this view by moonlight, on many occasions after supper at the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club following an evening dinghy racing.

This marine painting is being produced “on speculation” intended as a major exhibition piece, a demonstration of my skills.

Make no mistake though, the painting is for sale and could be pre bought as shipwrights might have put it, “off the building stocks”, or in this case wet off the easel!

~

As ideas developed, I researched extensively in Plymouth including at the Local and Naval Studies Department, Plymouth Central Library and made several special visits to the location.

More recently, my good friend the musician Bob Brennan has joined in the fun and been hugely helpful as have several of his friends around Plymouth, in helping find historic information and rare pictures relating to the view I have in mind.

~

Now the idea of the painting has grown.

This painting will at face value be a fine large port scene by a warm summer full moon.

There will be many layers under the face of this new marine painting:

emigration from the British Isles,

the story of the Plimsoll line and Samuel Plimsoll,

the ship Samuel Plimsoll,

the history of this now derelict location,

and the fact that it is up for redevelopment and I intend to remind Plymouth City of the site in it’s hay day hoping they will be encouraged to develop sympathertically, imaginatively and not just “build a hotel2 as is rumoured… (as I did most successfully at and for the City of Chester with the marine painting “The Port of Chester (1863)” ~ A civic reception, the ghost of Salty Cyril and a coat of arms.

See http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/chester.html and follow the further reading links to discover how and why.

~

The original thoughts evolved to include a large sailing ship on the Cattewater, ready to sail.

Sketches attached here and below:  

You may recall, “Catte” refers to catting an anchour?

The ship I would chose had to be a big square rigger, ideally with an interesting history.

I settled for ship the Samuel Plimsoll, built by Walter Hood at Aberdeen in 1873.

Walter Hood famed for his fast clippers which included Salamis and Cutty Sark’s great rival, the glorious Thermopylae

Samuel Plimsoll was named for and launched by Mr. Samuel Plimsoll.

You may have heard of the “Plimsoll Line”, maybe seen Plimsoll lines on ships?

I gradually discovered I could not have made a better choice.

I’ll tell you more of the illustrious ship Samuel Plimsoll in progress reports as the painting develops over the next few months. 

~

Imagine my surprise?

We have been working on and off on  researching this painting for 3 years when yesterday Bob Brennan emailed me about

Nicolette Jones who is trying to raise money (£1 or two) for water for Africa at JustGiving.com.

So?

Nicolette Jones is only the author of The Plimsoll Sensation: The Great Campaign to Save Lives at Sea, published in paperback on 3 May 2007 (Abacus).

The Plimsoll Sensation was the Radio 4 Book of the Week for 3-7 July 2006, and won the 2006 Mountbatten Maritime Prize and the International Division of the 2007 US Maritime Literature Awards. See the citation and photos.

I was totally unaware of Nicolette Jones and her book…

Wow, what splendid reviews Nicolette Jones and The Plimsoll Sensation have!

I wonder if she and I will ever correspond?

~

This is the same piece of water, Plymouth Cattewater,  where Drake, Hawkins and numerous famous sailors formerly anchoured their ships.

This is the anchorage where the battle fleet of Queen Elizabeth 1 waited for the Spanish Armada and would later witness the departures of the Pilgrim Fathers followed by tens of thousands of other emigrants.

Then I became interested in the buildings on the derelict sites, a disgrace for 50 years and significantly up for re development, of the wharves under the East side of Citadel.

I was looking for a suitable fore ground for the design.

I found one plus!

This is the site where my family, friends and I  so often launched our dinghies so more personal, and the only remaining building of note is in a shabby state because the city dispute who is responsible for it’s upkeep as it is  the now the Mayflower Sailing Club.

I expected a long history, I found one.

I was most surprised though to discover the quay had been the most popular point of departure for emigrants leaving the British Isles, preferred over London and Liverpool.

Why?

also took a great series of photos of QE 2 at Plymouth on VE Day in 1995.

In the latter case, in those days my family and I were  very active member of the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club.
The club played a significant part in the VE Day celebrations including hosting many V.I.P.’s and flying Nelson’s most famous signal (England expects…).

The RPCYC kindly provided me with a launch and very willing crew.
QE 2 was moored in Plymouth Sound, a beautiful setting, on a beautiful day. A great photographic opportunity.

On the previous occasion I’d been invited by Cunard line to be a celebrity guest to sail on QE 2  to demonstrate marine painting techniques to QE 2’s other guests and give a lecture (I still have the notes!).
It was a very memorable voyage in many ways, thank you Cunard and the good people in the agency who set  the project up.
I was encourage to take my wife and we were generously put on deck 1 and nourished in the best restaurant, “The Queen’s Grill”.
Knowing there were many very bright people onboard, I turned the “lecture” into what became a popular interactive talk.
Some of the friendships made on that voyage still endure.

My previous experience of Cunard was limited to painting a night scene of their famous record holder, “Mauretania” http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/mauretania.html, available direct from our page http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html as a limited edition.

There was an entire restaurant dedicated to Mauretania including a splendid quality large model of her onboard QE2.

It never featured one of my prints though, nor did the onboard shops. I don’t go to the right cock tail parties!

Do you know decision makers in Cunard?

It’s worth a free complementary copy, please put us in touch. It would be mutually beneficial and the guests would love the prints.

So why post the Queen?

Because of a friendship started in 1989 when I was part of a group who visited Miami and the port to view and officially visit some of the great cruise liners.
Among others I was fortunate to become a friend of Bob Lenzer.
Bob who lives in land locked Dallas, Texas.

He is some thing of an authority on cruise ships and liners.

Bob Lenzer is very knowledgeable, you can read an example of his work http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/norway_miami.html

Bob is currently writing a book on Queen Elizabeth 2.
Thus we have agreed he can use any of my photographs in return “for a generous credit” (and a few beers if ever we meet again).

I might even be persuaded to make a painting for his book.

I tend to the view, a good painting always finds a buyer eventually hence my very comprehensive gaurantee on my web site ( http://www.frickers.co.uk/blog/how-to-order/).

If you have QE 2 memories and photos particularly taken onboard, I am quietly confident Bob will be pleased to hear from you.

Bob Lenzer can be contacted here via info@frickers.co.uk.

Would you like to contribute anecdotes or photos for possible inclusion in Bob Lenzer’s new book on QE2?