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Thursday 26 December 2013

Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo Part 2

During the recent International Fleet Review celebrations I painted on the Barangaroo wharf, close to my Moore's Wharf studio.  On Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th I completed 3 paintings of the USS Chosin, HMS Daring and the 2 Australian ships HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Perth. 
My previous post showed the stage by stage development of these 3 canvases.
In this post I show the completed canvases of these ships, as well as 2 canvases I painted on Friday 11th October of their departure from the vantage point of my studio at the Sydney Ports Corporation Headquarters at Moore's Wharf.
plein air oil painting by artist Jane Bennett of HMS Daring at Barangaroo during International Fleet Review
 IFR2A 'HMS Daring at Barangaroo' 2013
 oil on canvas 25 x 51cm
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com
This is the completed canvas of HMS Daring, with USS Chosin just visible in the background to the right.
plein air oil painting by artist Jane Bennett of HMAS Perth and HMAS Parramatta at Barangaroo during International Fleet Review
IFR3A 'HMAS Parramatta with
HMAS Perth at Barangaroo' 2013 

 oil on canvas 25 x 51cm
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com
HMAS Parramatta (154) and HMAS Perth (157) were tied together, making it difficult to paint the pair from the Barangaroo wharf.
Thursday was blisteringly hot, especially on the bare concrete wharf, but it rained Friday morning during the departure of the first 2 ships.
As you can see from the photo, there wasn't much difference between the grey of the sea, sky or ships - they were all of a piece.
plein air oil painting by artist Jane Bennett of HMS Daring and HMAS Perth departing under the Sydney Harbour Bridge during International Fleet Review
Starting a panoramic canvas of
Sydney Harbour from Moore's wharf
IFR5 'HMS Daring  + HMAS Perth
departing Barangaroo-painted from Moore's Wharf'
2013 oil on canvas 25 x  153cm 
 
















A few months before, I had started to paint a Sydney Harbour panorama on a stormy day. I wanted to put some ships in the centre, as it seemed a little empty, but I couldn't decide which ships to include.
The sky colour on Friday morning was so similar to this half finished canvas that I decided to use it to record the departure of the last of the ships from the International Fleet Review.

plein air oil painting by artist Jane Bennett of HMS Daring and HMAS Perth departing under the Sydney Harbour Bridge during International Fleet Review
IFR5 'HMS Daring  + HMAS Perth
departing Barangaroo-painted from Moore's Wharf'
2013 oil on canvas 25 x  153cm 

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

By a stroke of luck, HMS Daring and HMAS Perth departed so close together that I could place them both on the same panoramic canvas. It provided the perfect opportunity to combine the beauty of Sydney Harbour with a historic event.
HMAS Perth was flanked by 2 small black and red tugs, the oddly named 'Rhumb Melba' and 'Rhumb Matilda'.
In the left foreground is the Ausbarge Marine Services boat, from the Barangaroo North Headland Park, currently under construction to the west of Moore's Wharf.

plein air oil painting by artist Jane Bennett of  HMAS Parramatta departing under the Sydney Harbour Bridge during International Fleet Review
 IFR4 'HMAS Parramatta departing
 under the Sydney Harbour Bridge'
2013 oil on canvas 

 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

By the afternoon, the weather had cleared, so that the HMAS Parramatta left Sydney under a glorious cobalt blue sky.
To continue my naval theme, the iconic Hammerhead Crane will be demolished early in 2014, and I have just received permission from the Navy to paint it from the vantage point of Garden Island itself.

Saturday 14 December 2013

Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo

HMAS Perth, HMAS Parramatta, HMS Daring & USS Chosin were berthed at Barangaroo for a few days during the recent International Fleet Review celebrations. I was given access to paint there on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th. The ships finally left on Friday 11th October. I painted their departure from the vantage point of my studio at the Sydney Ports Corporation Headquarters at Moore's Wharf.
These will have been the last ships to ever officially berth at Barangaroo.
This 22 hectare site, previously known as the 'Hungry Mile' was a wharf for over 200 years.
It's the end of an era and I'm the only one who seems to have noticed.

Marine art - plein air oil painting of USS Chosin at Barangaroo wharf during International Fleet Review by artist Jane Bennett
 Starting to paint my canvas
'USS Chosin at Barangaroo' 

2013 oil on canvas 25 x 51cm
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com
I was allowed to drive my car onto the Barangaroo wharf, probably the last time I would ever be able to do so.
I started this painting at about 9am on Wednesday morning.

plein air oil painting of USS Chosin at Barangaroo wharf during International Fleet Review by artist Jane Bennett
Starting to paint the sea on my canvas 
'USS Chosin at Barangaroo'
2013 oil on canvas  25 x 51cm 
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

plein air oil painting of USS Chosin at Barangaroo wharf during International Fleet Review by artist Jane Bennett
Painting the sea on my canvas
'USS Chosin at Barangaroo'

2013 oil on canvas  25 x 51cm
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com
A truck drove up to the gangway and a conga line of sailors passed boxes of provisions onto the ship.
I wondered why the USS Chosin didn't use its ship's cranes instead, but I was grateful to be able to put so many of the crew in the background. It's a bit difficult to see them in the photo below - you'll need a magnifying glass as each figure is only a few millimetres high!
plein air oil painting of USS Chosin at Barangaroo wharf during International Fleet Review by artist Jane Bennett
The completed canvas
'USS Chosin at Barangaroo'

 2013 oil on canvas  25 x 51cm
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

I finished my painting by 11am, and moved further down the wharf to start painting the other ships.

plein air oil painting of HMS Daring at Barangaroo wharf during International Fleet Review by artist Jane Bennett
 Starting my painting of
HMS Daring on Barangaroo wharf

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

plein air oil painting of HMS Daring at Barangaroo wharf during International Fleet Review by artist Jane Bennett
My painting of 'HMS Daring
on Barangaroo wharf' 2013

oil on canvas 25 x 51cm
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com
















HMS Daring has a very odd motif on its crest - an outstretched hand suspended over a red-hot cauldron. Not so much "daring" as "foolhardy" or at least "bi-polar". It apparently derives from a legendary hero of Ancient Rome who had a major difference of opinion with his emperor and wanted to make a point in a rather drastic fashion.
One of the officers gave me a sticker of the crest, which I have put on the trolley luggage I use to carry my easel in.
It's an appropriate motto.

plein air oil painting of HMAS Perth and HMAS Parramatta at Barangaroo wharf during International Fleet Review by artist Jane Bennett
Starting my painting of HMAS Parramatta
and HMAS Perth on Barangaroo wharf


plein air oil painting of HMAS Perth and HMAS Parramatta at Barangaroo wharf during International Fleet Review by artist Jane Bennett
My painting of 'HMAS Parramatta and
 HMAS Perth on Barangaroo wharf'

2013 
oil on canvas 25 x 51cm
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com



















Unfortunately this post is a few weeks later than intended.
I haven't been able to post anything on my blog or Facebook for a while as I had a car accident and damaged my shoulder not long after painting these. It's been quite frustrating as I still find it a bit painful to paint or even type, but it's slowly getting better.