These days people say I am a marine artist.
Month: August 2018
Love Slavery?
These days it’s P C to knock the British Empire however among it’s finest achievements Britain (you might try looking up William Wilberforce, slavery) was first to outlaw slavery and deployed the Royal Navy to hunt down slave ships world wide.
Dismasted
Golden Globe Race
Code Orange alert for Norwegian skipper.
50 years ago Robin Knox-Johnston sailing ‘Suhali‘ made the first successful single handed solo circumnavigation, the only competitor of 9, to complete the course.
Are Wiig made a satellite phone call to Race HQ at 16:30 UTC today to report that his 32ft yacht Olleanna had been rolled through 360° and dismasted some 400 miles south west of Cape Town.
Robin and his wife Sue commissioned the now famous painting “Roaring Forties” to celebrate and commemorate his achievement. The iconic “Roaring Forties” is available as a print, numbered, on canvas for the look and feel of the original painting owned by Robin, , a few left signed by Sir Robin, from £147.00 inc P&P.
Firehills & fire
As we know, normally oil paintings are very long lived.
Yes it saddens me to see “Shearwater off the Firehills” so ruined.
Uninsured, the painting, a fine piece of marine art, was never replaced.
Had it lived, today it would be worth at the very least £4000 at auction although I’d have replaced it for 3.
The original was painted, commissioned by a friend who still lives at Hastings, East Sussex, as a gift for a friend of his.
Dazzled?
Dazzled by a marine artist?
The famous and distinguished marine artist Norman Wilkinson described in his own words how he thought up and then introduced ‘Dazzle Camouflage‘ on British, American, French and Italian ships, commercial and military, in his book “A Brush With Life“.
One such ship was the ‘Titanic’ sister ship ‘Olympic’.
Another book for you ?
I found a copy on Amazon, published in 1969 by Seeley Service & Co Ltd; curiously it doesn’t seem to have an ISBN.
Booked?
The idea resurfaced while I was painting “HM Sloop Racehorse“.
I was recommended by Peter & Katy Goodwin.
Funnel Talk
Today I was reminded, during WW2 the British government built a large number of tugs, mostly Empire Class. Sturdy handy vessels, they were sold off after the war. The towing company of William Watkins, who had been the first on the London River (Thames) to operate steam tugs (1850 ish) , purchased a fleet. Finding … Read more
Bookworm
Today I’ve started to read “With The Going Down Of The Sun“.
THE Jane Banks
New page, a brief history, an insight, the end of a glorious era. Built in Germany, a long successful working life, she eventually became the last British square rigger to trade “foreign” without an engine. Thus ended the history of pure sail, British merchant shipping. This original, 40 x 61 cm (16″ x 24″) is … Read more