Attention to detail

Of Pickle, of an insight into [some] details you may like to appreciate in my paintings of HMS Pickle [“I Have Urgent Dispatches” is available in Museum quality print from £147 inc p&p].
HMS Pickle – I have urgent dispatches
I am prompted to write following some comments on the Facebook page ‘The sailing frigates, ship sloops and war brigs 1620-1870’.
 
Seeing the Pickle as a maritime diorama via the beautiful work from Craig Rosner set me in motion.
I’d be very happy to show that diorama on my blog and Facebook page if Mr. Rosner so wished.
Christopher A Sorenson’s keen eye for detail spotted I think the fore course is an error.  

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Lest we forget

“It is upon the Navy under the Providence of God that the safety, honour and welfare of this realm do chiefly depend” – from the Articles of War (1652) read weekly to all Royal Navy ships crews for 300 years.

Slow ahead both

 ‘Titanic, Plymouth Harbour’, progress with the paintings which measure 175.5 x 80 cm, [69″ x 31 1/2 “].
Exactly the same size as the original the famous artist Norman Wilkinson painted for the White Star Line, lost with the ‘Titanic’. 
TPH progress
I am commissioned to produce 2 paintings, both to replicate as accurately as possible, the splendid original, one for my client, the other for sale as a joined venture. 

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Trafalgar Message.

It’s that time of year again, Pickle Night [04 November] approaches.

The Trafalgar message, as conveyed by H M Schooner Pickle, was and is much more than news of a massive sea battle that changed history.

HMS Pickle
Nelsons Pickle

In part it was and is about qualities of leadership including qualities lacking in much senior management and politics today.

Nelson’s life is worthy of study by anyone who seeks or has thrust upon then, leadership.

At the end of this piece I’ll recommend two books. 

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Credibility?

  Time off today to take this ‘selfie’ photograph as a possible client requested, “Nelson and Minvere” hanging just as I’d said, by my desk.  The book I am pictured holding is “The Life of Nelson” by Mahan. Still one of the best books on the subject, it mentions the ‘Minerve’ voyage.  My copy is … Read more

A good question

My painting shown here is available including as a signed numbered print on canvas, {price from £147 inc p&p] “Trafalgar Dawn, the French Perspective” shows the informal arrangement of the British fleet as described in French and Spanish documents as seen from the French flagship ‘ Bucentaure’. 

This awesome marine painting measures 30 x 121 cm (12″ x 48″)

Shown in answer to a good question from Jim Stein regarding my painting ‘First Shots’ which I created back around 1995. 

First Shots, Trafalgar

Jim wrote ~ “Just a question about the lower courses, would they have been furled up to stop any chance of fire, I could be wrong in this”.

Jim Stein, British ships normally furled their courses when preparing for battle, exactly as you suggest.

However … 

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Detection

In the wake of the ‘Titanic’.
All we have left of the beautiful and very deliberately symbolic painting by the famous Norman Wilkinson of ‘Plymouth Harbour’ is a poor quality photocopy.
In trying to understand the painting I have produced the drawing shown here and give you an image of the photocopy.


Fortunately I have some understanding of NW’s work, style and techniques used and methods.
Equally fortunately I know Plymouth Harbour intimately having frequently sailed those waters and painted there. 
Which leaves the problem of identifying the ships or at least their class.

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As I write

As I write, this, “First Shots”, was pretty much what was happening off Cape Trafalgar, 21 October 1805.  The battle was the climax of a period during which Britain was under very serious threat from Europe, of being over run. “First Shots, Trafalgar”, one of my “Nelson and Trafalgar Collection”, painted while I was ‘Official Artist” … Read more

Sailing into legend, 04.10.1805

NEW > ‘Sailing into legend’

Pickle, HMS Pickle, one of The Nelson and Trafalgar Collection

This fine marine painting measures 62 x 47.5 cm [24 1/2 x 18 3/4] oils on canvas board, available.

Hyperlink > Sailing into Legend (HMS Pickle) 04.11.1805

Early in the morning of November the 4 th 1805, the His Majesty’s Schooner Pickle sailed into a Cornish legend. 

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which flag?

A fine detail in ‘Nelson and Minerve’, a question from Graham Street via Facebook,

Hi Gordon Frickers, great work mate. I have a question about the picture with a red ensign, and who was the admiral of the red . Thank you“. 

Nelson and ‘Minerve’, flag detail
 
I’ll endeavour to answer your good question above as a new post as this may have wider interest.
Actually there are many fine details in this painting “Nelson and Minerve” which most people won’t easily spot,
An example is the merchant ships are all of types seen off that coast at that period [a Zebec being one], types frequently mentioned for example by C S Forester in his now classic Horatio Hornblower series.
 
A T Mahon in his authoritative “The Life of Nelson [p 221] tells us at that time Nelson was taking his orders from Admiral John Jervis. 
The flag appears else where in the painting, how many can you spot?

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