Industrial Cathedral

Industrial Cathedral
"Industrial Cathedral" charcoal on paper 131 x 131 cm Jane Bennett. Finalist in 1998 Dobell Drawing Prize Art Gallery of NSW Finalist 1998 Blake Prize Winner 1998 Hunter's Hill Open Art Prize

About Me

My photo
Sydney, NSW, Australia
I'm an Industrial Heritage Artist who paints "en plein air".If it's damaged, derelict, doomed and about to disappear, I'll be there to paint it.

Monday 22 October 2012

2012 Classic and Wooden Boat Show at the Australian National Maritime Museum

Exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum by the Australian Society of Marine Artists

I chose these 3 paintings to display in the exhibition by the Australian Society of Marine Artists in the Tasman Light Room at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
The exhibition was part of the 2012 Classic and Wooden Boat Festival from Friday 12th October - Wednesday 17th October 2012.

oil painting of Walsh Bay Wharves by artist Jane Bennett
"Demolition of Wharf 6/7, Walsh Bay Wharves” 2001  
oil on canvas 61 x 102cm















Enquiries about this painting :

                         
I had painted the demolition of the almost derelict structures of Wharf 6/7, Walsh Bay Wharves from the interior of Wharf 8/9 in 2001. This wharf was later replaced by apartments designed to imitate the genuine wharves. 

oil painting of notorious cargo ship 'Tampa' at Barangaroo by artist Jane Bennett
"The last call of the ‘Tampa’ ”
2007 oil on canvas 31 x 103cm
Enquiries about this painting :

                              
I had been “Artist in Residence” at the Hungry Mile during its last days of port operations.The notorious “Tampa” was the last Ro-ro ( roll on roll off car ship) to berth at the Hungry Mile wharves, now known as “Barangaroo” in late October 2007, marking the effective end of Sydney as a working harbour.

oil painting of controversial ex-HMAS Adelaide' with Anzac Bridge at Glebe Island Wharves by artist Jane Bennett
”Ex-HMAS Adelaide at Glebe Island Wharf” 
2009 oil on canvas  46 x 92cm
Enquiries about this painting :

                         
I had painted the entire saga of ex HMAS Adelaide from her arrival at Glebe Island Wharf in September 2009 to her scuttling off  the Central Coast on Wednesday April 13th 2011. 
Her interior was stripped to prepare for her reinvention as a dive wreck but this was stopped at literally the last minute by a controversial court case. The ship had to undergo more stringent preparations for another year, until the dawn of April 11th 2011 when she made her last journey to her final resting spot off North Avoca.  

Artist in Residence at the Australian National Maritime Museum


plein air oil painting of Krait by artist Jane Bennett at 2012 Classic and Wooden Boat Festival at Australian National Maritime Museum
Painting the 'Krait' at the 2012
Classic and Wooden Boat Festival
Australian National Maritime Museum.
Oil on canvas 28 x 36cm




 
















I also spent Saturday 13th October and Sunday 14th October next to HMAS Vampire as Artist in Residence giving a demonstration of plein air painting.
In this photo I am starting a small canvas of the 1934 fishing trawler,  Krait, which led a heroic double life during World War II.
In 1941, Krait was used to evacuate people from Singapore to Sumatra during the Japanese advance. Perfectly disguised as a local fishing vessel, in the 1943 Operation Jaywick she was boldly sailed into Japanese-occupied waters with a team of Z Special Unit commandos whose mines blew up and severely damaged 7 enemy ships in Singapore harbour. After the war, Krait worked in the Borneo timber trade, until  two Australians on a business trip recognized her in 1962. Krait then returned to Australia to a hero's welcome, a testament to Australian sacrifice during war.

plein air oil painting of wooden boat by artist Jane Bennett at 2012 Classic and Wooden Boat Festival at Australian National Maritime Museum
Painting the 'Winnie Too' at the
2012 Classic and Wooden Boat Festival
Australian National Maritime Museum.
Oil on canvas 51 x 61cm
Enquiries about this painting :






















Later in the day, as a contrast to the stark black hull of Krait, I painted Winnie Too one of the dozens of charming smaller wooden boats on display.
exhibition of oil paintings of tall ships and Pyrmont  by artist Jane Bennett at 2012 Classic and Wooden Boat Festival at Australian National Maritime Museum
My outdoor exhibition at the
2012 Classic and Wooden Boat Festival
Australian National Maritime Museum.




















As there was a handy awning to protect them from the wind and sun I was able to present an outdoor display of some of my other canvases of vessels from the Sydney Heritage Fleet and the Australian National Maritime Museum. The canvases on the easel are of the tall ships James Craig and HMV Endeavour, and the light ship Carpentaria. The smaller works hung from the railings are some of my early Pyrmont paintings, which date from the era before the building of the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Monday 8 October 2012

Tower of Power- Drawings of the White Bay Power Station

White Bay, an often overlooked part of Sydney's industrial and maritime heritage will soon be radically overhauled.
ink wash and gouache drawing on paper of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
'White Bay Power Station' 2012
ink gouache on paper 30 x 21cm

FINALIST : 2012 KEDUMBA DRAWING PRIZE




















Enquiries

I have painted many of its current and former landmarks, including the Unilever site, the White Bay Power Station and the notorious White Bay Hotel, (which was 'mysteriously' burnt down) ever since they were all operational in the late 70s - early 80s.

ink wash and gouache drawing on paper of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
'Chimneys of the White Bay Power Station 2' 2012
ink gouache on paper 30 x 21cm
FINALIST : 2012 KEDUMBA DRAWING PRIZE
Enquiries
This is a group of 4 small ink wash and gouache drawings on paper, which I have decided to enter in the 2012 Kedumba Invitational Drawing Prize.
ink wash and gouache drawing on paper of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
'Coal Loader White Bay Power Station' 2012
ink gouache on paper 30 x 21cm

FINALIST : 2012 KEDUMBA DRAWING PRIZE





















It seems a strange distortion of scale to create such small works in response to such a slumbering beast as the gigantic Power Station. Usually I paint an enormous canvas to try to capture its heroic proportions.
However there are so many exquisite details which can get lost in a larger composition that I was glad of the opportunity to focus on them. Every inch of this rusting monster is worthy of a painting, so that it is difficult to choose.
ink wash and gouache drawing on paper of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
'Coal Loader and Chimney White Bay Power Station'
 2012 ink gouache on paper 30 x 21cm
FINALIST : 2012 KEDUMBA DRAWING PRIZE


And I will have to choose quickly.
Now the White Bay Transit Shed has been partially demolished and the site re-developed as the controversial new Cruise ship terminal.
Glebe Island wharf, once used for offloading cars, has been eerily empty since the departure of ex-HMAS Adelaide to its watery grave off North Avoca in 2011.
A temporary exhibition venue will soon be built on this space to replace the Darling Harbour complex while it is being refurbished.
A road will soon be built on the empty site where the "Great Gatsby" had been filmed last year, to link all these new developments to civilization.
oil painting on canvas of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle by artist Jane Bennett
"White Bay Power Station after rain"
2012 oil on canvas 183 x 112cm
Sold 
PRIVATE COLLECTION : SYDNEY

So I feel that the days of the White Bay Power Station as a hulking urban ghost are numbered. 
One day the sleeping giant will wake.... 
To what sort of future? 
Update

Friday 5 October 2012

Under the Bridge

Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Starting my painting commission at dawn,
under the Anzac Bridge, looking at Sydney City Marina over to the western side.
'Under the Bridge 1- early morning' oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney
The Anzac Bridge has always held a special place in my heart.
Even before I was given the amazing opportunity to paint it from the top, I had painted the progress of the construction of its pylons in the background of many of my Pyrmont paintings during the early-mid 1990s.

Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Under the Bridge 1- early morning' oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney
Enquiries about similar paintings

Many other people also love this bridge.
Recently I was given a very special commission to paint the Anzac Bridge.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Under the Bridge 1- early morning' oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney
Enquiries about similar paintings

But not from the top this time.
From underneath.
The "Underbelly".
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Under the Bridge 1- early morning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney
So now I'm painting on the other side of Blackwattle Bay.
Behind me are the dragon boat teams, and beside me are the construction sheds of the people doing maintenance work on the Bridge.
My canvas is 76 x 76cm and has been primed with black acrylic paint to help me gauge the colour values against the glare of the morning sun.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Under the Bridge 1- early morning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney

I've started to paint in the pale blue morning sky.
The building in the background is "evolve", part of the Jackson's Landing development, which was built on the site formerly occupied by the 'Caneite' building of the CSR Refinery.
The mysterious 'great balls of Pyrmont' which now adorn the park in front of this building were digesters originally used in the Caneite factory to turn sugar cane waste into masonite and similar building products. They still bear the scars of marine worms and barnacles that they accumulated after rolling off the wharf and spending a few years underwater.
One of the men from Waterways Constructions took a fancy to them and fished them out.
Now they are "works of art".
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
6.30am 'Under the Bridge 1- early morning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney

The morning sun lights up the Glebe Island silos and the old Glebe Island swing bridge.
At the moment Glebe Island is almost deserted, but soon this will change when they start construction of a new temporary exhibition space while the Darling Harbour space is undergoing refurbishment.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
A promising start 'Under the Bridge 1- early morning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney
Enquiries about similar paintings

After 2 hours, the silos and the bow legs of the pylons supporting the Anzac Bridge are starting to take shape. The Anzac Bridge is a beautiful, elegant and supremely functional piece of design, but from certain angles it can sometimes look a bit bandy-legged.
There are several bridges around the world of similar design. I remember walking across a huge version in Rotterdam, and being very surprised when they rang an alarm and people walking across started to scatter to either end. The bridge appeared to 'break' in the middle and a huge container ship moved through the gap in the centre.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
At the end of the first session 'Under the Bridge 1- early morning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney

However my first painting session was cut short unexpectedly.
At 8am I got a phone call from the hospital saying that after reviewing some of my mum's blood tests they wanted me to bring her in so that they could operate on her, so I stopped painting and rushed to get her.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Stage 2 Half finished -'Under the Bridge 1- early morning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney

During the next painting session, I made sure to paint the green and yellow Devine tug berthed at Sydney City Marina, as I knew it would soon move away.
Next week it was on the other side of the old Glebe Island swing Bridge, so I was lucky to catch it.
To the far left is one of the chimneys of the White Bay Power Station, and on the right are some rotting stumps belonging to the old Glebe island swing Bridge.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Stage 3 Nearly finished -'Under the Bridge 1- early morning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney
Enquiries about similar paintings

This painting is nearly finished, but the colour and shadows need a bit of adjusting before I'm happy with it.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Stage 4 Nearly finished -'Under the Bridge 1- early morning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney

Almost finished.
I was a bit on edge as I had to make sure that I didn't get locked in with all the dragon boats.There are several clubs but nobody seems to know when the last club will leave. My painting site is hidden by the construction area, so I have to keep checking to see if there are any cars left.
There are lots of different clubs. Some of the rowers say that it will close about 2 - 3pm, and some say as early as 11am.
I don't want to be locked in!
I'm working fast!
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Under the Bridge 1- early morning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney

I needn't have panicked about being locked in.
The construction guys have promised that if I get locked in they will let me out, and there are constant security patrols.
Tuesday to Thursday mornings there is a boat repair course for unemployed people, so I have a bit more access than I thought I would.
I was worried about completing this commission as I thought that my access would be restricted to very early on Saturday mornings.
As my mum has been so ill, I can't predict when I'll get any free time.
A bit of glazing to add colour highlights and some rose pink early morning clouds will complete the painting.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Stage 2 Half finished -'Under the Bridge 2- storm warning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Sold : Private Collection Sydney
Enquiries about similar paintings

But even though it was so close to being finished, there were a few twists before it was finally complete.
The weather has been variable - sometimes very windy and a couple of wild storms.
One morning I turned up and it was so cloudy that I almost decided to head back home again.
I'm glad I didn't, although I couldn't paint for long before it started raining.
I always take a couple of spare canvases just in case, and luckily I had one the same size as the one for the commission.
The sun crept out from behind the clouds every now and then - playing across the bridge pylons and the last vestiges of the working harbour beneath.
The colours changed the mood so much that I had to start another painting rather than add to the one that I was half way through.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
Stage 3 Nearly finished -'Under the Bridge 2- storm warning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Available for sale
Enquiries
Exactly the same time of day as the earlier painting , but the stormy conditions give such a different mood, and a complete change of palette.
One of my favourite paintings is "The Tempest" by Giorgione. I love the sense of foreboding he has created by such simple means - a few clouds, shadows and highlights, and the resulting painting has a mysterious poetry that defies analysis.
Plein air oil painting of the Anzac Bridge and Glebe Island painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Under the Bridge 2- storm warning'
oil on canvas 76 x 76cm 2012
Available for sale
Enquiries

At first I was worried that I wouldn't have enough time to complete my commission - and now I have 2 canvases!
I don't know which canvas my client will choose.
I've emailed both and she's said that I've made it difficult for her - she loves both of them! This is her birthday present to herself, and very important to her, so I wanted her to be very happy with the result.
The big decision is tomorrow.

Update

She finally decided on the early morning painting.