Isolation Gallery on the deck - Ex HMAS Adelaide on Glebe Island

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, my wings have been clipped.

I'm caring for my elderly and very frail mum at home, so even when restrictions are relaxed, my obligations as a carer mean I'll still be very restricted in the amount of plein air painting I can do.

Paintings on the deck

I've used my enforced downtime to repair old paintings. When canvases are taken to exhibitions and handled a lot they can get scuffed at the edges.
I'd spent the start of the Covid season putting up a pergola over the front deck so it would be a nice breakfast nook. But it's been really useful as.a studio extension as it's sheltered from rain and all but the fiercest winds.
I started putting some large canvases out there to dry after repairs, just to get them out of my way so I don't trip over them.

Down the side of my garden is a walkway to the local park and I noticed a few people staring at the paintings. I did this for a few weeks, but when I didn't have anything on the easel for a couple of days they asked me to put some paintings back up.

A3 Ex HMAS Adelaide late afternoon panorama
2011 oil on canvas 61 x 183cm                            
A25 'ex HMAS Adelaide sinking'
2011 oil on canvas 25 x 51 cm

The galleries are shut, so I thought 'Why not? At least it gets them out of my studio'
Since then I've had a different painting every day on the deck gallery. Sometimes two if they have a connection to each other.
I choose at random - it's a chance to wander through my past.
Enjoy.

A3 Ex HMAS Adelaide late afternoon panorama
 2011 oil on canvas 61 x 183cm

This is a sort of before and after pairing.

The Ex HMAS Adelaide on Glebe Island being stripped of most of her interior fittings before scuttling, and a small painting of her scuttling off Terrigal.

A25 'ex HMAS Adelaide sinking'
2011 oil on canvas 25 x 51 cm

See the posts about these paintings

"Two ships in dock"
"Ghost Ship Part 2" 
"Ghost Ship Part 1"

The White Shed at White Bay

Demolition of the White Bay Transit shed will soon commence.

Cardinal, who demolished the wharf buildings at East Darling Harbour, have set up in the old canteen at the western end of the shed.

I started this canvas on Tuesday 8th November.

White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay'
2011 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm.

I've been told that the gantries on either side of the shed have been heritage listed, but I don't know if they will be retained. White Bay has been confirmed as the site of the new cruise ship terminal.
Sydney Ports Corporation owns and manages White Bay Berths 1-6. The berths are leased to licensees who operate independent businesses including:
Private Harbour Cruises, Road Construction, Harbour Construction and Vessel Maintenance.

Starting to paint the sky of a canvas of the
soon to be demolished
'White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay'
2011 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm

I've been allowed to paint the shed from the most eastern point, Berth 6, leased from Sydney Ports Corporation by Bailey's Marine Fuels.
Berth 5 is leased by the PB tug "Endeavour", a small and extremely cute pale blue tug with a black hull, only just over a year old.

My half finished canvas 'White Bay Transit Shed,
from Berth 6, White Bay' 2011 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm.

At Berth 4, is the scary looking "Sea Shepherd", bane of the Japanese whaling fleet. They will depart for Antarctica on Friday 18th November, so if I am to paint them I need to work fast.

'White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay'
 2011 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm.

Berth 3 houses Waterway Constructions. They are now the proud owners of the largest crane I have seen since Titan sank.

'White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay'
2011 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm.

Berth 2 has a motley collection of barges and a yellowish tug that looks just as battered as my station wagon. To the west are the Ausbarge tugs, the Morpeth and Coramba. Their funnels have been given a fresh coat of bright blue, since I last painted them.
Berth 1 is home to the tall ship, the 'Southern Swan', formerly known as the 'Svanen'.

'White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay'
2011 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm.

 

The sullen clouds overhead developed into a violent storm, known as a "southerly buster".
The day after, Baileys started to construct an awning between the two blue containers, to provide shelter for their workmen.Later that afternoon an impressive southerly buster blew up, as you can see by the ominous stormclouds above the shed in both the painting and the photo.

'White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay'
2011 oil on canvas 36 x 46cm.

The next day, Wednesday 9th November, I had to make an early start, as I had a very important appointment to keep.

In late 2009, I had been approached by some people from St Vincents Hospital to paint a block of heritage terraces soon to be redeveloped for the new Kollings Cancer Institute. Just when I had thought everyone had forgotten about this, St Vincents Hospital notified me that they had booked me to have a major solo exhibition of these paintings from 4th February - 8th March 2012.

Wednesday would be my opportunity to meet and discuss the exhibition before the organizers took their Christmas break.I arrived by 7am, unpacked and started this small canvas by 7.30am.

White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay'
2011 oil on canvas 36 x 46cm.

However, to arrive at my meeting and still manage to look halfway human for the meeting at 1pm I had to stop painting by 11am and scrub myself clean.
The weather looked a bit dodgy, so the people from Bailey's kindly allowed me to store my half finished canvases in one of the toilet blocks in case it rained while I was away.
As I was going to take my collection of paintings of the Victoria terraces in to see how they would look in the exhibition space at Xavier level 3, I wouldn't be able to pack my wet canvases and easel on top of these earlier works without risking disaster.

Painting the White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay.

White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay'

2011 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm.

The meeting was a great success, and I'm very excited about the forthcoming exhibition at St Vincents, even though my last exhibition at the Frances Keevil Gallery has only just ended.
I'll barely have time to catch my breath between projects. 

White Bay Transit Shed, from Berth 6, White Bay'

2011 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm.

The tanks and containers are reflected in the pools of water left over from Tuesday's violent storm.

 

Related posts

"Tugs, barges and Tall ships"

 

"Sea no evil" 

 

"St Vincent's Art in the heart of Darlinghurst" 

Power

1. Possession of controlling influence ;  having great influence or control over others
2. (physics) the rate of doing work; measured in watts (= joules/second)
3. Possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done  
4. The ability or capacity to perform or act effectively.
5. The ability or official capacity to exercise control; authority.
6. Physical strength
7. a prerogative, privilege, or liberty
8. Forcefulness; effectiveness
9. A specific capacity, faculty, or aptitude. 
10. to travel with great speed or force
11. Of or relating to the generation or transmission of electricity
12.  Power (physics), the rate at which work is performed or energy is converted
13. Electric power, the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by a circuit
14. Human power, the rate of work performed by a human
15. Motive power, an agent used to create motion

Definitions of 'power'

WBPS85 ' White Bay Power Station'  2016

oil on canvas 61 x 91cm

Available for sale

Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

11. 'Of or relating to the generation or transmission of electricity...'

.White Bay Power Station was originally built by the Department of Railways to supply more power for Sydney’s growing Electric Tramway System in 1912 (and was later expanded for the City and Suburban Railway Electrification in the mid 1920s)The power station was constructed in two stages. The first stage, built between 1912 and 1917, consisted of a boiler house, standing roughly where the present boiler house stands, and part of the turbine hall and switch house. The second stage, which commenced in 1925, saw the completion of the turbine hall and switch house.
After the Second World War, the first boiler house was demolished and, between 1950 and 1958, replaced in two stages with the present boiler house.
Demand for power from White Bay waned when the trams were abolished*. By the 1970s, the demand had diminished to such an extent that the second boiler house was pulled down and the turbines sold.

WBPS83 'Coal Loader +
Chimney White Bay Power Station' 
2016 oil on paper 9.5 x 9.5cm
Available for sale
Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

The power station was decommissioned on 25 December 1983.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the power station was gradually stripped, except for items identified for heritage conservation.
In August 2000, Pacific Power sold White Bay Power Station to Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority.
*Ironically, Light rail is being re-established in the inner western suburbs so the demand for power is now increasing!

Painting the White Bay Power Station
"White Bay Power Station" 
2011 oil on canvas 102 x 152cm
Sold

Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

10.To travel with great speed or force...

 I'm putting the final flourishes on my gigantic painting of the White Bay Power Station. It's been a race against time.

Even though my next solo exhibition "May close without warning" doesn't start until the 11th October, I had to get some strong images together for the advertising in the "Look" Magazine, and think about suitable images for the invitation. Most of my paintings of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops are just too dark to photograph well. So the pressure was on me to finish this work in time!

14.Human power-the rate of work performed by a human...

Many invitations show the artist posing self-consciously in front of works in progress in their pristine white studio. But I have no studio as such. Although, on the other hand as I work "en plein air" you could say that the whole world is my studio. 

So just for a change, I thought I'd include a couple of images of my works in progress on location.

 The security guard took a few photos of me in action completing this canvas, and my gallery dealer liked this one so much that we might even include it on the invitation to the opening!

I wear an Akubra, not a beret while I paint.

The Akubra hat is a necessity and not an artistic affectation. It shades my face from the sun, keeps my hair out of my eyes and is waterproof enough to keep the rain off in bad weather.

6.Physical strength...

Putting the final details on the "White Bay Power Station"
"White Bay Power Station" 
2011 oil on canvas 102 x 152cm

Sold

Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

This canvas is 102 x 152cm - extremely large for a work painted outdoors on location. The early stages could be painted fairly quickly, but nuances such as light falling on the windows are made more difficult by the slightest puff of wind making the canvas beat like a drum.
I fossicked for bricks to weight down my easel so I wouldn't have to chase it all over the yard.

3.Possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done...
The worst moment was painting the thin diagonal lines reaching from the top of the chimney stacks to the roof. I had been dreading putting these in, as they had to be painted in a single confident unbroken stroke, cutting across the sky. The sky was still wet, so I couldn't use a ruler.

Using my car as a windbreak so I can add some details with a fine brush.

"White Bay Power Station" 

2011 oil on canvas 102 x 152cm

Sold

Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

4.The ability or capacity to perform or act effectively...

 I tried to use my car as a windbreak, with only partial success. As you can see from the photo above, I adjusted the French box easel until the canvas was almost horizontal, but it was still too risky to paint these fragile lines. If I made the slightest mistake, I would have had to scrape down the entire sky and start again.

8.Forcefulness; Effectiveness
I waited a long time for a still, calm day before I had the confidence to tackle this task. Then a final decisive sweep of the brush and the canvas was finished.

2.The rate of doing work...

Meanwhile I completed a few small studies of details of the Power Station, partly to help me to understand the complexities of light and form, and partly to fill in time while waiting for the wind to drop so that I could finish the large canvas.

Works in progress

Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

Painting the "White Bay Power Station stacks" 
 2011 oil on board 51.5 x 25cm

Available for sale

Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

"White Bay Power Station stacks" 2011
 oil on board 51.5 x 25.5cm
Available for sale

Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

"White Bay Power Station coal loader" 
2011 oil on board  35 x 28cm
Available for sale

Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

The completed canvas "White Bay Power Station" 
2011 oil on canvas 102 x 152cm
Sold

Enquiries about other White Bay Power Station paintings

Also see my page in this blog :

White Bay Hotel/White Bay Power Station Paintings

Related posts

Inside Out

Tower of power

Power House

Artist in Residence at the White Bay Power Station - Part 2

Artist in Residence at the White Bay Power Station Part 1

Steady Rest

Rust Bucket