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 Queen Elizabeth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Queen Elizabeth. Show all posts

Monday 7 March 2011

A Royal Rendevous- Part 2 Farewell to the Queens

plein air oil painting of the 'Queen Elizabeth 2' docking at Circular Quay by maritime artist Jane Bennett
Unfinished painting of 'The Queen Elizabeth docking at Circular Quay '
oil painting on canvas 61 x 76cm
 $4,500 


Enquiries about this painting:
janecooperbennett@gmail.com 

        For information and price list -Artist information page




(Photo is courtesy of Callan Back)
plein air oil painting of the 'Queen Elizabeth 2' docking at Circular Quay by maritime artist Jane Bennett
Completed painting of  'The Queen Elizabeth docking at Circular Quay '
oil painting on canvas 61 x 76cm
 $4,500 

Enquiries about this painting:
janecooperbennett@gmail.com 

        For information and price list -Artist information page

Monday 28 February 2011

A Royal rendezvous

Painting the Queen Elizabeth's arrival at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour 
Woke up at 4am on a grey, drizzly dawn; at the steps of the Opera House by 5am - must be cruise ship season again!
Waiting for the royal rendezvous when the Queen Mary 2 and her newer, smaller cousin the Queen Elizabeth pass each other with Fort Denison between them.
I have gouache paints and a large block of watercolour paper to catch the occasion. However this proves not to be the most sensible choice for this type of weather. The paintings turn out well, but by the time I have chased the Queen Elizabeth to its berth for the next day and a half at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, all the pages are well and truly stuck together as it starts to rain.
After a few more promising attempts at painting gouaches of the docking super liner get partially washed away, I try plan B and swap them for oil paints.
 
Marine art plein air oil painting of the 'Queen Elizabeth 2' docking at Circular Quay by marine artist Jane Bennett
I'm starting a small plein air oil painting of the Queen Elizabeth at Circular Quay Tuesday 22nd February 2011
The Queen Elizabeth at Circular Quay from the Commissioners Steps' 2011 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm
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A young couple from Melbourne happened to wander up just as I was wondering what to paint in the foreground to show the scale of the huge ship, and add some human interest. I painted them arm in arm at the top of the Commissioner's steps. (They now own the painting).
Marine art plein air oil painting of the 'Queen Elizabeth 2' docking at Circular Quay by marine artist Jane Bennett
Oil painting of ' The Queen Elizabeth at Circular Quay from the Commissioners Steps' 2011 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm
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The rain nearly drove me crazy, stopping long enough to give me a false sense of security, then setting in as soon as I settled down to get some serious painting done, but I managed to finish this oil painting at the end of the first day.
The next day I bravely started a larger canvas, knowing that the ship was due to sail at midday.
I managed to paint most of the ship before it left, but have to return to fix up the sea, and sky to my satisfaction.
I will post the "Royal Rendezvous" gouaches of the 2 Queens passing each other, as soon as I can carefully prise the paintings apart, hopefully without damaging them too much.
I might be able to use them as studies to paint a canvas from in the studio.

Sunday 27 February 2011

Irons in the Fire - Part 3 'Hot'

Paintings of the Blacksmiths at Wrought Artworks,
Bay 1/2 Australian Technology Park,
Eveleigh Railway Workshops

The phrase 'iron in the fire' refers to an undertaking or project in progress. The phrase 'several irons in the fire' refers to a number of jobs or possibilities available at the same time.
A person who has a 'few irons in the fire' has a number of things working to their advantage at the same time. 
All of the above apply to me as well as the blacksmiths I'm painting.
I haven't been rushing between furnace and anvil, while juggling white hot metal, except metaphorically.
I have been painting at many locations recently - 3 separate places within the huge Eveleigh Railway Workshop complex ( the Heritage Store next to Carriageworks, the large Erecting Shop and Wrought Artworks in the Australian Technology Park); the ships moored off Wharf 7 near the Australian National Maritime Museum; the top of the Sydney Ports Corporation Harbour Control Tower; finishing a panorama of Summer Hill from the top of the soon to be renovated Mungo Scott Flour Mills; and most recently, standing out in the pouring rain on the OPT (Overseas Passenger Terminal) at Circular Quay while painting the maiden call of the gigantic luxury cruise ship the 'Queen Elizabeth'.
I could have done with a bit of fire during that last one, as despite wearing a Driza-bone, which I had thought might be overkill for February, I got soaked to the skin and froze.
I've managed to time it this summer so that I am painting a blazing forge in 40C degree heat and ships in the harbour on a chilly grey dawn.
Oil painting of blacksmith's forge painted in the Australian Technology Park, Eveleigh Railway Workshops by industrial heritage artist Jane Bennett
'Hot' 2010 oil on canvas 25 x 20 cm
  Enquiries about this painting