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

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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.
Showing posts with label Endeavour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Endeavour. Show all posts

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
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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.

Thursday 3 February 2011

Australia Day 2011 at Darling Harbour Part 1: Endeavour

1. endeavour - a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that     requires effort or boldness)
2.earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something



3. a sincere attempt.
4. persistent activity
5.To work with purpose
Marine art 'HMB Endeavour' at Darling Harbour  plein air oil painting by artist Jane Bennett
'HMB Endeavour' on Australia Day
 2011 oil painting on canvas 23 x 31cm
  Enquiries about similar paintings



















The word 'endeavour' seems appropriate to me on several levels as a theme for Australia Day.
Plein air painting on a popular public holiday, at the hub of all of the festivities, certainly requires a fair bit of 'effort or boldness', is hopefully 'a purposeful or industrious undertaking' and is definitely an 'earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something'.
It's also the name of one of the most famous ships to visit Australia, one closely associated with our recent Australian history.
Marine art 'HMB Endeavour' at Darling Harbour oil painting by artist Jane Bennett
'Endeavour' on Australia Day
 2011 oil painting on canvas 23 x 31cm



















A very short tall ship!
I started my painting of the small canvas of the 'Endeavour' on Australia Day 2011, a bit after 9am. She is docked at her customary jetty for the Australia Day festivities and to give her many fans a last opportunity to explore her for quite a 
while.
Tomorrow the HMB Endeavour will go to Garden Island to be prepared for her next heroic voyage - the circumnavigation of Australia. This is the reason why her masts are a lot shorter than normal, as prior to this, she had some work done over at Glebe.
One spectator irreverently referred to the ship as 'Mrs Stumpy'. I think I saw her figurehead wince at this indignity.
I was able to finish this small plein air painting on the day, by just before lunch-time, despite the general craziness of the Australia Day celebrations.
My 'endeavour' had paid off!

Marine art -Cannons of  'HMB Endeavour' at Darling Harbour oil painting on canvas painted 'en plein air' by artist Jane Bennett
Painting the large canvas of the 'Endeavour' on Australia Day 2011
oil painting on canvas 76 x 102cm
An unfinished plein air painting
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I had chosen a good spot at the end of the jetty where I could observe and paint without being trampled.
Now the big decision- do I stay put ? Or move in search of the spot promised to me on the pontoon?
The ship parade was not due to start until after 5pm so I decided to push my luck and start a large canvas. This might be my last chance to paint the Endeavour for a long time, so I might as well make the most of it.
My family motto was "You might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb". (This could have had something to do with how some of my ancestors came to Australia in the first place!)


Marine art -Cannons of  'HMB Endeavour' at Darling Harbour oil painting on canvas painted 'en plein air' by artist Jane Bennett
Painting the large canvas of the 'Endeavour' on Australia Day 2011
oil painting on canvas 76 x 102cm
An unfinished plein air painting
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In the background is another tall ship, the James Craig, which was sailing throughout Australia Day, but had returned by the afternoon, in time for me to include it in this canvas.
This is still unfinished, but most of the ship has been completed, leaving only the lighthouse, details of the Australian National Maritime Museum and some of the rigging to finish.


Marine art -Cannons of  'HMB Endeavour' at Darling Harbour oil painting on canvas painted 'en plein air' by artist Jane Bennett
Detail of 'The 'Endeavour' Australia Day 2011 ' - 'Cannons'
'Endeavour' on Australia Day 2011
oil painting on canvas 76 x 102cm
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This is quite a large canvas for a plein air painting.
I have included some close-up details.
Because the other end of the jetty was taken up with queues of people waiting to tour the ship, I had a fairly empty foreground which set off the bold colouring of the ship.
On my left were a magnificent pair of cannons, one apparently aimed at the Endeavour and the other at the distant James Craig, and I couldn't resist including them.
Every now and then a face would peer at me from the dark hold of the ship, squinting against the glaring afternoon sun.
When the shadows began to lengthen, I started to pack.
The Australian National Maritime Museum would be closed by 6pm, and I had at least 2 trips to make to put all of my painting stuff- folding table,chair, easel and canvases, some of it heavy and all of it awkward, on the pontoon. The pontoon wasn't that far away, probably about 400-500 metres, but the heat was stifling, and it is tricky transporting still-wet canvases around through the crowd without smearing the paint. Or getting paint on any of the onlookers! (I didn't)
Links

Facebook page - HMB Endeavour Circumnavigation 2011-2012 


Facebook page - Australian National Maritime Museum

Monday 27 September 2010

Marine Art Exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum

 Australian National Maritime Museum

I will be exhibiting these paintings at the  Australian Society of Marine Artists exhibition at the "Wooden Boat Festival"
WHEN: From 10 am - 4pm Saturday 16th October and Sunday 17th October 2010
WHERE: at the Australian National Maritime Museum
EVENT: Wooden Boat Festival
These are some of the paintings which I will be exhibiting on the October 16-17 weekend with the Australian Society of Marine Artists exhibition at the "Wooden Boat Festival"
The Australian Society of Marine Artists are a group of artists and others interested in marine and maritime art : painters, lithographers and printmakers, sculptors, model-makers and historians. Every painting style from traditional to contemporary, realist to abstract is represented : ships, seascapes, maritime history and heritage.
Plein air painting of the final departure of the 'Spirit of Tasmania 3" from the East Darling Harbour Wharves in October 2006.painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'The 'Spirit of Tasmania' departs for the last time
from Darling Harbour' 2006
oil painting on canvas 25 x 31 cm
Sold
This painting is of a landmark in the history of Sydney Harbour - the final departure of the 'Spirit of Tasmania 3" from the East Darling Harbour Wharves in October 2006.
The 'Spirit of Tasmania 3" , (nicknamed 'Spot' by all the wharfies) was later sold to an overseas shipping line and I have heard that she has been renamed and is in use as a ferry in the North Sea.
The 'Spirit of Tasmania" numbers 1 and 2, are still in Australian waters, but their journeys are between Melbourne and Devonport. Occasionally they come to Garden Island, Sydney Harbour dry dock for repairs and maintenance.
The Sydney Heritage Fleet's tall ship, the 'James Craig' and Wharf 7, Pyrmont can be seen in the background.

The last journey of the 'Spirit of Tasmania 3'
It was an atmosphere reminiscent of the last day of school. People running around taking photos and swapping addresses. Manic excitement, regret, and a strange undercurrent of foreboding about what the future may bring.
To add to the sense of occasion was a touch of glamour. Added to the usual queue of cars and bikes waiting in the sun was a line of lovingly restored vintage cars, bound for a rally in Tasmania. In one of the many paintings that I started that day, I featured a green Rover and its patient driver in the foreground. I certainly had enough time to paint them as they were sitting in the queue from 9.30am to 2.30pm when they were finally allowed to drive on board. The Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW, later acquired this canvas.
Everything that wasn't nailed down was hauled off and dragged on board. I mean 'Everything that wasn't nailed down' absolutely literally and not as a lazy cliche. I had been storing some canvases and easels in a little shed and suddenly had to leap up from my wet painting and rescue them from making an unscheduled visit to Tasmania. I nearly lost my cup of coffee which I had left perched on a concrete barrier when forklifts started to load all of the concrete onto the ship.
Plein air painting of HMB Endeavour from the East Darling Harbour Wharves.painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
"'Endeavour ' Tall ship race -Australia Day"
oil painting on canvas 20 x 25cm
A close up of the 'HMB Endeavour', one of the 'Tall Ships' making its way back to its mooring after the Tall Ships Parade on Australia Day 2007.
This was painted from the East Darling Harbour Wharves (now called Barangaroo) while the area was still a working port.
Plein air painting of the tug 'Karoo' from the East Darling Harbour Wharves.painted by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'The Tug 'Karoo' 2006
oil painting on canvas 28 x 36 cm
Available

For more information see My Pyrmont page in this blog

Related posts

Looking over the overlooked-Urban decay in Pyrmont
To the Point
Wrong side of the tracks - Darling Island Bond and Free
Pyrmont Paintings past and present My Exhibition in the Australian National Maritime Museum
Paintings of Pink pubs - Painting the Jolly Frog Part 2 

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