to entertain, inform & inspire
Marine-Painting, cadre et présentation, being France, first a French lunch meaning from 12,00 to 17,00 !
The lunch being served by our hosts Philippe and Sylvie Bossis at their beautiful mansion.
Lunch starting in classical style with ‘nibbles’, little delicacies each with it’s own distinctive flavour.
Each and every delicious morcele and this including the ‘Pain Surprise’ which is a bread with each layer made of sandwiches with a different filling.
Robin Knox-Johnston, an inspiring sailor, a real man, a role model, a film worth watching? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdIIYr1GdIs&feature=emb_share.
I feel honoured to have been commissioned to make #paintings 3 times, “Roaring Forties“, “The Clipper Way” and “Dumra departing Bombay“.
I produced prints for the first two paintings made for Sir Robin #Knox–#Johnston which we both signed [a few copies are still available], and I am proud to be considered one of his friends.
“Roaring Forties” subsequently is and continues to be reproduced in journals world wide and is a proven influential painting.
Robin still is a considerable influence and benefit for many lives, mine included.
Some years ago Robin and I were discussing our roles in life.
Prompted by a superb old black and white photo of ‘Valkyrie’ on Facebook, ‘Friends of Vintage, Classic & Traditional Boats’, I’ve updated my page “Royal Yacht Britannia (1893)”
A new marine painting in the making, a new sketch, B I S 9 C. Completed at 02.30 this morning, uggh… Inspiration is a fickle friend. The study gives a fair indication of how this layout will work.
At present the study lacks colour in more than one sense, colour which is critical to the composition.
However it is has correct proportions.
‘B I Sunday‘ will show the port of Mombasa, Kenya on a unique day when every wharf was occupied by ships of the same company, the British India Steam Navigation Company.
Yesterday closed with a classic sunset, we have an invigorating ‘reefed topsail’ day here today, sunny warm and unusual in the tranquil Tarn, an East wind gusting force 8 and 9, wonderful light and an inspiring gale for marine painting!
The past few days post the Monaco Yacht Show have been focused on looking for another place to settle; I must go down to the sea again, the lonely sea and the sky…
Where to rent next, cote d’azur, Loire Atlanique, Bordeaux, Cornwall? all are possibilities and all have merits…
Yesrterday closed with an impressive sunset and to the East an impressively pink sky. 
How to find some where to re settle, any suggestions?
The famous marine painting “Roaring Forties” is a real piece of marine history, much reproduced by journals when writing about Robin Knox-Johnston and a very collectible limited edition and signed by the yachtsman Sir Robin Knox Johnston.
It was as you may be aware produced specially for and in close collaboration with Britain’s most illustrious yachtsman and master mariner, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
We had a brief, charming compliament recently re the beautiful Heritage quality marine print of “Roaring Forties”, one of those thing which helps make our work feel worth while.
August closes, marine painting has resumed in earnest at last following the difficulties caused by having to leave Itzac suddenly due to faulty electrics.
Being a bit out of practice it seems there is more paint on me than on the canvases, a situation I’m hoping to reverse.
Work has recommenced on the new version of the renowned “Trafalgar dawn” (available quickly and securely using PayPal as a signed numbered edition from page
http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html), an update written below.
Also on the easel in the past few days, HM Submarine Unique and “Emigration, Plymouth Cattewater and the Samuel Plimsol” ~ here is a brief progress report.
My visit to Plymouth, looking back as I try to catch up on work at Itzac, went quite well including some good PR; the bad news was getting up early to be with Gordon Sparks on BBC Radio Devon the good news, Gordon Sparks Sparkie is great fun to be interviewed by,
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!