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Birth of a marine painting

The story of ‘New and Old‘ so far is:New_and_Old_IMG_0455_d.JPG
I was yesterday told by Sam Llewellyn editor of Marine Quarterly the picture MUST be ready for his cover page  by the end of the first week of March, 18th ‘Absolute bonecracking‘ latest it was emphasised.
I don’t do ‘Absolute bonecracking’ to much like stress.
Cool calm collected…

I have found the panic button (almost pressed eject by accident).
I am quietly confident my man will have his picture earlier than the 18th.

About this sketch

The coaster is not particularly accurate ~ yet.
The location chosen is Black Deep channel, outer Thames Estuary

Black Deep has besides a stirring name, a history to match for example was where the bodies of the 2 princes alleged to have been murdered in the Tower of London by Richard the third’s henchmen were dumped.

That is of course legend as so often the case written by the victors,  given as fact in some history books.

The reality is that more likely it was Henry the VII (the first Tudor) who had the hapless boys murdered to remove potential rivals and blamed it on (the by then dead)  Richard III the last Plantagenet whom Henry had usurped and had killed at the Battle of Bosworth as chronicled by among others the (Tudor) bard William Shakespeare.

To produce this sketch was 4.5 hours direct drawing after previous exploratory sketches that probably took a couple of hours total

Then we should included research with the UK Hydrographic Office at Taunton, Trinity House London, Armac Shipping, The Cambria Trust  to name the principal sources.

Others sources have included Google Images and Google Earth.

I worked from the dimensions of “River Trader” built 1989 therefore one of the newest in the Armac fleet, 9.40 m beam, 15.27.

Part of the task of the sketch is to enable our busy friends at Armac to quickly find a suitable reference photo taken from as near as possible to the desired angle and height above sea level.
Of course I’d rather be there and take a better photo myself but…

The Cambria Trust Secretary was immediately supportive of this plan, delighted his Thames Barge Cambria was to be included in a Frickers marine painting.

He very promptly sent some photos, again none quite what I have in mind but that is ok, I am used to working round, interpreting photographs, you may recall I have a degree in photography which more than once in a while is helpful.

He has also offered to guide me with Cambria‘s colour scheme and help in any way he can.
I recalled remembering during my days back in the mid to late 1960’s on the Thames barge British Empire the bright work was picked out in Chrome Yellow.
So was the bright work on Cambria but I was told during Cambria’s restoration it has been discovered under the yellow Cambria was originally picked out in gold.

Thus I’m happy re the barge in the sketch although I would like some more detailed pictures in particular of the fore deck and wheel housing.
~
Back to painting today.
The EP Expo invite has been approved.
That is a big one out of the way.
Next invitations for invitation shave to go out.
Then I can focus on the next issues on the EP Expo list which will include preparing a catalogue.
~

Shipping movements:

On the subject of shipping movements and potential marine paintings, on the International stage I see Iran has sent 2 navy ships to the Med and plans to send a battle fleet for a year on exercises.
Good for tourism, very friendly of them?

A possibly world changing transit of the Suez Canal passed largely  un noticed  by the media with so many of us have been following wide eyed current events in Arab states.
We wish those people freedom, prosperity and peace while wondering if within 5 years their revolutions will have been high jacked by Muslim extremists.
There is plenty of what later may be seen as warning signs one of which is the recent shipping movement in the Suez Canal.
What scares me is recent  history shows war and revolution can start very suddenly and repeatedly we hear the media and more so the politicians “taken by surprise” by events.
Sorry guys that does not cut it, wake up, Iran is sending a battle fleet to the volitale Med, why, for their health and training?

We also know trouble on the streets in the Arab countries has often started when Muslims leave their Mosque after ‘prayers’ so is clearly at least in part driven my the Imams.
Islam is a religion of peace and love?

That is as easy to figure out as does 2 + 2 make 4? Do fish swim?

Two Iranian warships, a frigate and a fleet supply ship, both British built, were the first Iranian warships to enter the Med since 1979.
Iran says they are the first of a battle fleet Iran is sending to the Med “for a year on exercises”.
I dread to think what will happen if those ships start pushing their luck for example running supplies to Gaza or encouraging militancy in the currently very very unstable Arab nations…
~

In my view the spread of Islam is a more serious challenge to our way of life and values than climate change or communism.

“Islamaphobia” reaches Plymouth

A report as yet unverified has come in of a 2nd Mosque in Plymouth and trouble in the streets, fighting, requiring the Police in Plymouth to separate Shai and Sunni Moslems.
I’d appreciate being kept informed of any issues around that in particular press reports.
I started a few months ago to keep a file on “Islamaphobia”, why?
Because very reluctantly I have come to think we have good reason to fear Muslims in Britain and worse, well meaning soft liberals and socialists are actively, directly and indirectly Muslim encouraging immigration.

This is undemocratic.

The British have not voted for this, rather the contraire.
This is already impacting on our remoter cities like Plymouth.

20 years ago one rarely saw a veil in Plymouth, now they are a common sight on our streets.

So what has changed, does this matter?

Make no mistake: the aim of the majority of Mulsims as clearly shown on the Internet is the introduction of Islamic Law into Britain.

Does this matter?

I think the worst of it is the thin end of the wedge is well oiled.

Meaning  we are kind, generous so they come to us; next their friends arrive and all seem reasonable, are peace and love, take part in Interfaith meetings and so on.

Their friends of friends arrive and the next thing you know we have mosques and Muslim youth gangs on our streets, Muslims in our  institutions and boasting in 20 years time they will have 20 or 30 members of Parliament, in our work places even in our jails intimidating people and pushing the weakest and most vulnerable to convert while  our authorities turn a blind eye to the gradually encroachment of the outdated and brutal Shai’ire Laws within Great Britain’s United Kingdom.

There is worse to come.

Thus I’ll keep an eye on the Iranian battle fleet in the Med, as with the Somali pirates, they are overdue subjects for marine painting