Australia Day 2011 at Darling Harbour Part 2 :Fire and Water

'The ship parade Australia Day 2011 Darling Harbour'
 oil painting on canvas 31 x 61cm 
  unfinished plein air painting
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By about 4 I'd started to move from the Endeavour jetty down to the pontoon in Darling Harbour. I had to make a couple of trips for my chair, table and easel, and it was still quite hot and humid.
I was worried that I'd flake out before the fireworks which weren't due to start until 9pm, but the lead up events were so exciting that they kept my energy levels up.
After some music, the Australian of the Year, Senior and Junior Australian of the Year, and the Local Hero were introduced with short but moving speeches.
Then the old heritage Pyrmont swing bridge was opened to allow the ship parade to sail through led by the 'Ted Noffs', usually berthed at Moore's Wharf, next to Barangaroo.

This canvas shows the start of the spectacular ship parade.

Some spectators are on the right, and in the background is the brilliant red and yellow 'Ted Noffs' Emergency Response vessel of Sydney Ports Corporation.
This canvas got badly smudged during the long trek back, but enough remains of the initial impulse for me to be able to rescue it.

'Firetruck Barge Australia Day 2011 Darling Harbour ' 
oil painting on canvas 15 x 30cm
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A great highlight of the ship parade was when the firemen on the barge sprayed the enthusiastic crowd with water from their hose.

The crowd loved it as it was still so hot.

As many areas can be more accessible by water than by road in an emergency, the people on the fire barges are the great unsung heroes of the emergency services.

'The ship spectacular-Red Sails in the sunset-
 Australia Day 2011'
oil painting on canvas 25 x 25cm
unfinished plein air painting
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 As the firework barges began to fizz and crackle with sparks of light, graceful yachts, with their sails tinted every colour of the rainbow began to circle them.

'Fireworks Barge Australia Day 2011 Darling Harbour' 
oil painting on canvas 10 x 10cm
unfinished plein air painting
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A quick impression- just a few blobs of colour smeared on with my fingers, as I'd  dropped my brush in all the excitement.

The area where I had been working suddenly became open to the public. They were very well-behaved (I got quite a few compliments on my work) but I thought I'd better move so as not to get in the way while I was painting.

This tiny canvas got badly smudged but is still useful as a memory. I had to stuff it in the back pocket of my jeans to carry it back home- it was too small and kept falling out of my canvas carrier.

Helpful people kept picking it up for me during the long walk back after the festivities.

'Fireworks Barge Australia Day 2011 Darling Harbour ' 
oil painting on panel 30 x 34cm 
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This plein air painting of one of the fireworks barges gives a much better idea of the beauty of the reflections of the light on the water.

'Spectators- Fireworks -Australia Day 2011 Darling Harbour' 
oil painting on canvas 61 x 41cm 
unfinished plein air painting
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The silhouettes of people looking up in wonder at the blaze of glory above.

They are emergency services workers and their families, the honoured guests of the day.

Related posts

2012 Classic + Wooden Boat Show, Australian National Maritime Museum

Boat at Goat

Australia Day 2011 at Darling Harbour Part 1: Endeavour

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

Definitions courtesy of the free dictionary

'HMB Endeavour' on Australia Day
 2011 oil painting on canvas 23 x 31cm
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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.

'Endeavour' on Australia Day
 2011 oil painting on canvas 23 x 31cm

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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!

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!)


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.


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)

People were absolutely wonderful all day long. I was handed bottles of water by perfect strangers, and volunteers or even passers by would keep an eye on my things while I moved to the new location.

Detail of The 'Endeavour' Australia Day 2011 - 'Old mate'
Painting the large canvas of the 'Endeavour' on Australia Day 2011
oil painting on canvas 76 x 102cm
An unfinished plein air painting
Sold Enquiries about similar paintings

The original HMB Endeavour, launched in 1764 as the collier Earl of Pembroke, was renamed 'Endeavour' and commanded by Lieutenant James Cook on his first voyage of exploration 1769-1771.

This voyage was partly a scientific mission and partly a journey of discovery and exploration. Cook set out to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the Sun, intended to help scientists discover the size of the Earth by the parallax method. After the transit of Venus, Cook searched the seas of the still largely uncharted Pacific Ocean for the legendary 'Terra Australis Incognita' or "unknown southern land". After circumnavigating New Zealand,  Endeavour reached the east coast of Australia at what is now known as Botany Bay in April 1770.

Colliers had a flat-bottomed design well-suited to sailing in shallow waters, allowing them to be beached for loading cargo or for basic repairs without requiring a dry dock. This would later prove to be a very useful attribute, when despite Cook's consummate skill , the ship narrowly avoided disaster on the treacherous shoals of the Great Barrier Reef and had to be beached on the mainland for seven weeks for repairs to her hull.

It is so difficult in our age of “Google Earth” to appreciate the isolation and danger of such a journey.

The original Endeavour was scuttled in Narragansett Bay in 1778.

In January 1988, as part of commemoration of the Australian Bicentenary of European settlement of Australia, work began on the Endeavour replica.

She was finally launched in 1994 and is usually berthed in Darling Harbour.

 'Endeavour' on Australia Day 2011 
oil painting on canvas 76 x 102cm
Sold  Enquiries about similar paintings

The completed plein air painting.
In the background is the James Craig, which was sailing throughout Australia Day, but had returned by the afternoon, in time for me to include it.

Related Posts

Beyond the sea  Painting the James Craig

Marine Art exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum

My earlier painting of Endeavour  painted on Australia Day 2007

My new still life paintings of antique navigation instruments 

My paintings of 18th century sextants, celestial globes and antique navigation charts.
The Art of Navigation 

Australia Day 2011 at Darling Harbour Part 2 :Fire and Water

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

Links

Facebook page - HMB Endeavour Circumnavigation 2011-2012 


Facebook page - Australian National Maritime Museum

Tugs, barges and Tall ships - Glebe Island, Jackson's Landing and White Bay

'The tug 'Edi' and the OES barge at Glebe Island wharf'
 2010 oil painting on canvas 31 x 41cm
SOLD
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This tug escorted the OES barge to White Bay and then to Port Botany, where it is laying cables.

This canvas was painted at Glebe Island wharf, opposite LendLease's Jackson's Landing Development. In the background the yellow column of one of their apartment blocks pokes up like an impudent finger. There is an equally lairy lime green apartment block further down the road to match - their not entirely endearing local nicknames are the 'Lemon' and the 'Gherkin' respectively. Jackson's Landing was built on the site of the CSR Refinery and Distillery, which had operated on the north-western end of the Pyrmont Peninsula for over a century. A relic of these times, known as the 'Cooperage' can be seen directly in front of its fluorescent new neighbour.

'The OES Barge with the tug 'Edi' at Glebe Island from the park at Jacksons Landing, Pyrmont''
oil painting on canvas 25 x 31 cm
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The view from across the ditch.
This evening study of the barge and tug is painted from the park in front of the 'Cooperage' at Jackson's Landing.

'Dawn -The tug 'Edi' at Glebe Island wharf '
2010 oil painting on canvas 25 x 51cm
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Sunrise, with the tug docked in front of the Anzac Bridge. 

The grey apartment block in front of its eastern pylon, catching reflections of the rose pink dawn clouds, is the strangely named 'evolve' building. I hate buildings with verbs for names - especially in the imperative case. It sounds like a command - both patronising and presumptuous. 'Into what?' is the unspoken question.
The crew of the tug and the barge are making preparations for the departure to White Bay, and then, just as the song goes, they are bound for Botany Bay.

G45 'The tug 'Edi' with the 'Southern Swan' at White Bay'

2010 oil on canvas 31 x 25cm

SOLD
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This was painted at the Ausbarge Wharf facility at Berth 2 White Bay, Roberts Street, Rozelle.
The tall ship 'The Southern Swan' (formerly the 'Svanen') is docked behind the Ausbarge tug 'Edi'. This tall ship, built in Oslo 1916 is a schooner (rig: triple masted gaff) used for educational sail-training.
Ausbarge's other tugs include the 'Warren', the 'Taralga', the 'Coramba', the 'Morpeth', the 'Bega', the 'Temora', the 'Marrakai' and the 'Mudgee' in roughly descending order from largest to smallest.

'The tugs 'Edi' and 'Morpeth' at White Bay wharf'    

2010 oil on canvas 25 x 31cm
SOLD

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The 'Morpeth', much smaller than the 'Edi' is not quite the runt of the litter. She just looks dwarfed by the 'Edi' in comparison. She is a steel built twin screw tug with a 7 tonne bollard pull and a LOA 15.8m Draft 2.38m.
At the moment, White Bay is a sleepy little nook of Sydney Harbour, filled with little tugs, garbage barges, boats refuelling etc. All the flotsam and jetsam of the remnants of Sydney's working harbour.
But this will change - and soon.
Soon White Bay will be redeveloped extensively. The cruise ship terminal, now temporarily located at a marquee at Barangaroo's Wharf 5, will be permanently relocated to White Bay to make way for the Barangaroo redevelopment.
Plans for the new terminal are awaiting approval from the NSW Planning Department.
Construction is expected to start soon, with completion due in 2012. So watch this space!

 

Related posts

The End of an Era - The "Maersk Gateshead" Arrives 

 
Barangaroo : 'Maersk Gateshead' -The Last Container Ship (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

Two Ships in dock - Painting the 'Pacific Jewel' and the ex-HMAS Adelaide' at Glebe Island Wharf

In the dock*
*dock 1
1.The area of water between two piers or alongside a pier that receives a ship for loading, unloading, or repairs.
dock 2
1. To clip short or cut off
2. To deprive of a benefit or a part of something, especially as a punishment
3. To withhold or deduct a part from dock 3

An enclosed place where the defendant stands or sits in a court of law. Idiom: 'in the dock'
On trial or under intense scrutiny. (Definitions of 'Dock' courtesy of the Free Dictionary)

2 ships on Glebe Island Wharf- one under repair and one being systematically pulled to pieces, both literally and metaphorically.
After a problem developed in the propulsion system, the 'Pacific Jewel' had to cool its heels for quite a while, first at Barangaroo, then for over a week at Glebe Island and finally at Captain Cook dry dock over at Garden Island.

Painting the 'Pacific Jewel'

en plein air at Glebe Island Wharf

Available
The engines had broken down and after a few days the cruise ship was moved to the Naval dry dock at Woolloomooloo on Saturday 30th November, unfortunately while I was at the Eveleigh field day.
When I asked a couple of blokes in overalls how long the repairs would take, one of them said that they had to move an item weighing about 45 tons to get to the broken bit. When I asked how that was going, they laughed and said that they had managed about 8 tons of it so far; about 37 to go.

Painting the 'Pacific Jewel' en plein air

at Glebe Island Wharf,

oil painting by artist Jane Bennett 27th October 2010

Available 
Starting the new canvas. It was a sullen overcast day with very gusty winds. I knew it would be hopeless to try any painting on the open wharf next day. I didn't know how long that the 'Pacific Jewel' would be staying at Glebe Island. Nor did anyone else.

Painting the 'Pacific Jewel' at Glebe Island

on 29th October 2010

Available 
I resumed painting on the 29th, which was just as well as the day after this, the 'Pacific Jewel' was sent to Captain Cook Dry Dock at Garden Island. I unfortunately missed this as I had committed myself to be "Artist in Residence" at the Eveleigh Field Day, and try as I might I still haven't mastered the knack of being in 2 places at the one time.
See my post in this blog about the Eveleigh Field Day
However I managed to catch up with the 'Pacific Jewel' a couple of days later at Captain Cook dock, courtesy of Eptec, who were also painting the ship.
White.
With really big rollers.

Painting the 'Pacific Jewel' en plein air

at Glebe Island Wharf,

oil painting by artist Jane Bennett

Available 
When it started to rain again I didn't feel like going home so I went over to say hello to Chris and the guys and renew my acquaintance with the Adelaide. I was able to get a little shelter from the weather as they have containers and demountables.
The ex-HMAS Adelaide has been lying doggo off Glebe Island for over a year now. You can see it in the background of this canvas, to the left of the 'Pacific Jewel'.
The Adelaide has had a chequered career. Adelaide was the ship which intercepted SIEV 4 on 6th October 2001, which was the event that sparked the Children overboard affair

I have rather a collection of paintings of notorious ships e.g the 'MV Tampa'.  

See From the Tampa to Strictly Ballroom

'The 'ex HMAS Adelaide' 1 year later

at Glebe Island wharf' 2010

oil painting on canvas 25 x 51cm

Available 

The seemingly never-ending saga of the poor old Adelaide continues. There's not much left of her to sink now! Almost everything that can be removed has been removed.
There is a huge gang of workmen clad in fluoro orange overalls ( excellent colour choice from my point of view - it is the complementary opposite to the pale grey-green of the hull) busy stripping her out, but there is still a 'Waiting for Godot' atmosphere hanging over this flurry of activity.
You see, we've been through this all before.
The vessel had been prepared for scuttling from its arrival in late 2009 to early 2010. Her mast was cut off so that it wouldn't become a navigational hazard once the ship was scuttled. Dangerous materials, weapons, systems and potential toxins were removed, and diver access holes were cut in the ship's flanks.
Originally the Adelaide was scheduled to have been sunk on the 27th March, 2010, in 32 metres of water, 1.7 kilometres offshore from Avoca Beach, until a literally last minute court challenge nipped this in the bud. Local stirrers campaigned to prevent the scuttling, with claims that the wreck had the "potential to affect tides and littoral sand drift", and that the "removal of chemicals and hazardous materials in the ship had not been completely thorough".
An appeal by the protest groups to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal three days before the sinking saw the project placed on hold. The case was to have been heard on 5 May 2010, but this was postponed until July.
On 15th September, the Tribunal finally ruled that scuttling of the ship could go ahead after the removal of canvas, insulation, any remaining wiring, (which allegedly may contain polychlorinated biphenyls) and exfoliating paint (which may allegedly contain red lead).
There will be another attempt to scuttle her in April 2011, but there are no guarantees that there won't be further court action to delay or even stop proceedings.
The suspense continues...

Painting 'Pacific Jewel' en plein air

at Glebe Island Wharf,

oil painting by artist Jane Bennett

Available 

I'm usually the only painter on the wharf.
Other people are painting the ship too! White, and with really big rollers. Here is a glimpse of them at the top of the orange crane in the background. When I first arrived and said to the security guard that I had come to paint the ship, this is what he thought I meant.

Painting 'Pacific Jewel' en plein air at Glebe Island Wharf,

oil painting by artist Jane Bennett

Available 
The 'Pacific Jewel' was officially launched with its present name at White Bay Wharf, only about 500 metres to the north, on 14 December 2009, less than a year ago. Originally christened the 'Crown Princess', she was built in 1989 and her maiden call was on the 6th July 1990. Her curved 'dolphin-like' profile was apparently designed by Renzo Piano. The 'Pacific Dawn', her sister ship, is also a frequent visitor to Barangaroo.

Painting 'Pacific Jewel' en plein air at Glebe Island Wharf,

oil painting by artist Jane Bennett

Available 
Due to the ongoing repairs during October 2010, three cruises for October and November (to Vanuatu and Noumea, Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup, and Fiji) had to be cancelled in the start of one of Australia's busiest cruise ship seasons.

Portrait of the artist at work
Available 


'The 'Pacific Jewel' at Glebe Island' 2010
oil painting on canvas 31 x 103cm.
Available 
The painting is completed.
This bit of bad luck for the ship was a bit of good luck for me. Normally a cruise ship is docked for a day or less, and the painting has to be small enough to be completed in the time available or the next time around. By now I have quite a comprehensive collection of 'Pacific Jewel' paintings from every conceivable viewpoint, several locations and at most hours of the day or night.

For more paintings and information about the 'MV Tampa':
See my Hungry Mile page in this blog
For more paintings and information about the ex-HMAS Adelaide:
See my White Bay Wharf / Glebe island Wharf page in this blog

Related posts

From the Tampa to Strictly Ballroom

Ghost ship Part 1

Ghost Ship Part 2

Ship to Shore - Australian Marine Artists Society exhibition at Mosman Art Gallery