My Paintings at the Sydney Open : Part 1

My exhibition: "From the Hungry Mile to Barangaroo"
Foyer of LendLease 30,'The Bond',
30 Hickson Road, Millers Point

Paintings of Barangaroo at Sydney Open - 30, The Bond
From left to right:
top : 'Relics from the Dead House 2' 2007 oil on canvas 91 x 61 cm
bottom left: "Hungry Dinosaurs" 2010 oil on canvas 36 x 46 cm
bottom right: "Grabber, Muncher,Ripper" 2010 oil on canvas 31 x 31cm
top: "I saw the number '8' in red" 2010 oil on canvas 61 x 183cm SOLD
centre: :"Red Square (Arrivals Hall) 2010 oil on canvas 61 x 183cm
bottom left: "The drill rig" 2010 oil on canvas 36 x 36cm
bottom right: "Red Square" 2010 oil on canvas 36 x 36cm
top left:"8 (ate)" 2010 oil on canvas 41 x 31cm SOLD
top right: "Dig it! (The archaeologists)"2010 oil on canvas 31 x 15cm SOLD
centre: "Storm warning, Barangaroo" 2010 oil on canvas 91 x 122cm SOLD
bottom left: "The last gantry" 2010 oil on canvas 41 x 31cm SOLD
bottom right: "Pump it! (The 'Watertank')" 2010 oil on canvas 31 x 41cm
Enquiries about these and other paintings


top :"2 cranes" 2006 oil on canvas 41 x 51cm
below: "Boat Lift" 2007 oil on canvas 100 x 122cm
top left: "The tug "Karoo"" 2008 oil on canvas 20 x 25cm
top right: :"The tug "Woona" 2008 oil on canvas 20 x 25cm
below: "The 'Tamerlane' after rain" 2005 oil on canvas 75 x 100cm
Enquiries about these and other paintings

A small selection of my paintings of the East Darling Harbour Wharves and their transformation into the Barangaroo precinct were exhibited for one day only on Sunday 7th November 2010, in the foyer of the LendLease Headquarters in '30, The Bond' directly opposite the Barangaroo site itself.
On the same day a selection of my Pyrmont paintings were also exhibited in the foyer of 'Workplace6', headquarters of Google, and 2 of Paul Signorelli's new restaurants, 'Biaggio' and 'Gastronomia'.
In these photos, my paintings of Barangaroo are displayed in front of the spectacular escarpment wall of yellowblock sandstone, catching the dying embers of the afternoon sun.
I borrowed the "A" frame easels from John Sweaney of ASMA (The Australian Society of Marine Artists) and put my entire black ankle sock collection on their feet to prevent the floor being scratched!

This exhibition consisted of a total of 24 paintings crammed onto 8 easels. The larger canvases perched on the crossbars and the smaller ones tied to the top and bottom legs by cable ties. Not an ideal situation, aesthetically, but not bad under the circumstances.

Painting plein air on the
Barangaroo construction site 
"Storm warning, Barangaroo" 2010
oil on canvas 91 x 122cm SOLD

Until a few days beforehand, I didn't even know if I'd be able to show my work at all.

The question of how to display paintings and what to display them on became the problem. Finally how to transport easels and paintings to 2 locations; one in Pyrmont, one in the CBD. Canvases and paintings could not be taken in the same car at the same time, or there was a good chance of piercing the canvases with an easel leg. Both '30, The Bond' and 'Workplace6' have majestic interiors with high ceilings and the paintings could be overwhelmed. Fortunately I received a great deal of help from the people at the Historic Houses Trust and my dealer Frances Keevil. They all arrived early on the Sunday and mastered the arcane mysteries of hanging paintings with cable ties in record time.

Related posts

 2014 solo exhibition "Under the Hammer"
2011 solo exhibition "May close without warning"
Barangaroo : Red Square, the Drill Rig and a little archaeology

My Paintings at the Sydney Open Part 2

Recently sold paintings at Workplace 6

Beyond the Sea

Invitation to an exhibition:

'Beyond the Sea' 

: an exhibition held by the Sydney Heritage Fleet and ASMA, The Australian Society of Marine Artists.

Opening night : Friday 26th November 2010 6 - 8pm

Wharf 7, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont 2009

Opening night admission : $10

RSVP Friday 19th November : please call (02) 9298 3888

The exhibition continues until 12th December

Hours 10am - 3pm

Admission free on all other days except for opening night

 Donation to the Sydney Heritage Fleet
I am donating this painting - it will be raffled and all proceeds are being donated to the Sydney Heritage Fleet

'The Tall Ship 'James Craig' at Darling Harbour' 
2003  oil on paper 48 x 37 cm

This is painted opposite Wharf 7, the  headquarters of the Sydney Heritage Fleet.

  My Paintings will be for sale in the exhibition at Wharf 7, Headquarters of the Sydney Heritage Fleet

I will be one of the featured artists in this exhibition as my paintings depict historic moments in the development of both Pyrmont and Barangaroo.

"Pyrmont and Miller's Point from the roof of Pyrmont Power station"  1993 

oil on canvas 91 x 122 cm

Enquiries about these and other Pyrmont, Millers Point, East Darling Harbour Wharves and Barangaroo paintings:

janecooperbennett@gmail.com

This canvas was painted from the roof of the old Pyrmont Power Station, now replaced by Star City Casino.The pile of rubble in the centre is an old signal box in the Pyrmont Goods Yard, the 'Spanish Cafe' in Baz Luhrman's classic Australian film 'Strictly Ballroom'. The bright red ship in the background is the notorious 'Tampa'! 

In the early 1980's,when I first started to paint in Pyrmont, the building in the centre of this painting was the site of Pier 13, where so many immigrantss first set foot on Australian soil. It was still connected to Jones Bay Road by an elegant land bridge. Later Pier 13 became the temporary casino, was painted a hideous shade of yellow and the land bridge was demolished. Pier 13 has since been replaced by 'Workplace6', home of 'Google' and Paul Signorelli's restaurants 'Gastronomia' and 'Biaggio'.

 Curving under the bridge is the old Pyrmont goods line, built in 1916, which looped through Darling Harbour and around Pyrmont across Wentworth Park and beyond. At vast expense, this goods line was torn up and replaced by the dubious benefit of light rail.

I have painted Pyrmont's metamorphosis from an industrial wasteland to a media and entertainment hub over a 30 year period. I painted from dozens of business and residential premises, painting panoramas of the dramatically changing urban landscape from rooftops, chimneys, demolition sites and even the summit of the half completed Anzac Bridge.

I will exhibit some of my Barangaroo paintings in this venue,showing the area's exciting transition from a working port to the preparations for its transformation into Sydney's new cultural and economic hub. I have been 'Artist in Residence' at Barangaroo since the early 2000's, compiling an archive of all the changes and so far I've maintained my position throughout the area's change of owners. I was granted unprecedented access to paint this area as a working port by Sydney Ports Corporation, Patrick Corporation and P & O. Now I am starting to paint the demolition and construction activities at Barangaroo South.

'Barangaroo when it was a working port-The yard from the port captain's office'

2007 oil on canvas 91 x 122 cm

Enquiries about these and other Millers Point, East Darling Harbour Wharves and Barangaroo paintings:

janecooperbennett@gmail.com

This is Barangaroo as it used to be as a working port. Compare this painting with the empty wharf paintings that follow. Jeffrey Smart, eat your heart out!

'The empty wharf'2007 oil painting on canvas 100 x 122cm

Enquiries about these and other Millers Point, East Darling Harbour Wharves and Barangaroo paintings:

janecooperbennett@gmail.com

The 2 horizontal paintings were painted from the same viewpoint exactly 1 year apart.

'The Harbour Control Tower from the Hungry Mile' 
2008 oil on canvas 183 x 122cm.

Enquiries about these and other Millers Point, East Darling Harbour Wharves and Barangaroo paintings:

janecooperbennett@gmail.com

This canvas was painted as soon as the wharfies had left.
While the wharf was still operational I would never have been allowed to paint here as it was far too dangerous. Forklifts used to constantly whip in and out, and there was a deafening alarm that would go off when they did. I had earmarked this spot for an iconic painting as soon as I arrived. 
The doorway frames the Sydney Harbour Tower, the bond stores and the quirky architecture of the heritage Palisade Hotel perched on the golden sandstone escarpment to perfection.

Related articles

• Pyrmont paintings past and present- My Exhibition in the Australian National Maritime Museum
• We like sheep - Waite and Bull Building 137 Pyrmont Street

• My exhibition at the Sydney Open (janebennettartist.blogspot.com)
• Something old-Something New- Some paintings at Barangaroo (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

Sydney Harbour Control Tower (The 'Pill')

Painting the Sydney Harbour Control Tower at Barangaroo

Painting the Sydney Harbour Control Tower

at Barangaroo : Art versus life

My canvas is sitting on top of my trolley luggage, which contains my essential equipment.

My paints, my brushes, my palette, my easel, my toilet paper and my lunch. It's a long walk back and the French box easel weighs over 10 kilos with the paint inside. All French box easels have annoying design flaws. With this one the easel legs have an alarming tendency to detach and whack me on the back of shins whenever I least expect it. Shoving it inside the trolley luggage was the best compromise I could come up with.

BAR53 'Barangaroo north -

The Harbour Tower, escarpment and Moore's Wharf'

2010 oil on canvas 61 x 91cm

Enquiries about these paintings 

Painting the Sydney Harbour Control Tower

at Barangaroo

While I was painting this, the radio station Nova was holding some kind of promotional event, on the knuckle of the northern end of Barangaroo.

It was a bit distracting and I felt a bit nervous leaving all of my things lying around at the mercy of the crowd whenever I had to have a loo break.

But they had set up a pop-up coffee bar in the middle of the wharf, so I'm everlastingly grateful to them as I love my coffee and never usually get a chance to drink any while I'm painting - it tends to go sour in a thermos and milk turns to yoghurt in the sun.

The Sydney Harbour Control Tower will still be used by Sydney Ports Corporation until their room in their spiffy new purple and silver headquarters at Port Botany has been fitted out in April 2011. I don't know whether there will be a role for the Sydney Harbour Control Tower in the new plans for Barangaroo. Hope so. I still have an easel and paint stashed on the amenities floor; I don't want to lose them.

BAR54 'Tower of Power'
2010 oil on canvas 61 x 61cm
Enquiries about these paintings 
 

View more of my Barangaroo paintings at my Barangaroo blog 'Painting Barangaroo'

Related posts

May close without warning

Eaten by Robots

Tie a yellow Ribbon

The Last of the Hungry Mile

Barangaroo - Tabula Rasa  

Gantry

Demolition of Cruise ship Terminal at Darling Harbour 8

The Gantry

I had wondered if the gantries were to be kept intact and possibly recycled for use at the new cruise ship terminal soon to be built at White Bay.

Ironically they are instead about to be demolished by the very same man who built the orange gantry only 8 years ago.
More irony :
At the foot of the gantry is an incongrous inscription in fading and cracked fluorescent cadmium yellow capital letters :

"KEEP"

Breakfast in the ruins with my half finished canvas
of the last gantry of Wharf 8,
the former cruise ship terminal of Barangaroo

My painting of the last gantry of Wharf 8

View more of my Barangaroo paintings at my Barangaroo blog 'Painting Barangaroo'

Related posts

May close without warning

Eaten by Robots

Tie a yellow Ribbon

The Last of the Hungry Mile

Barangaroo - Tabula Rasa   

Another one bites the dust

The White Shed at White Bay

Out of Time

Painting inside the hall of the former cruise ship terminal at Wharf 8, South Barangaroo

"Out of time " 2010
oil painting on canvas 31 x 31 cm
Available
Enquiries about this painting

A poignant little genre painting. Stopped clocks; a security sign; an abandoned storeroom.

Industrial memento mori.

A memento mori, or "reminder of death" is a familiar motif from medieval art. Sometimes a gruesome skeleton clothed in tattered flesh holds a scroll bearing the Latin inscription, "I am what you will be. I was what you are. For every man is this so."

Other paintings have more subtle ways of implying the same message - a piece of rotting fruit or an overblown rose in a Dutch 17th century still life; an hourglass or a mirror may mark the passage of time in a portrait.

Every good still life painting should have at least a whiff of mortality about it; a slight sting in the tail; a spoonful of medicine to make the sugar go down.

I found a plaque commemorating the opening of this building - 1999. Not all that long ago, but already it seems like an eon has passed.

Sydney Ports Corporation has just arrived to take possession of this sign.

I found its inscription hilarious - it was about how passengers with cardiac pacemakers were not to go through the X ray machines, but had to be bodily searched by the security guards!

if they didn't have heart problems to start with they would when they finished; all the excitement might prove too much!

It is such an insecure security sign.

Related posts

Painting International Fleet Review Barangaroo


Painting International Fleet Review Barangaroo Part 2

The White Shed at White Bay

"May close without warning"

Solo Exhibition, Frances Keevil Gallery 

Sitzkrieg (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

Storm warning,Goat Island (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

My Studio at Barangaroo

Works in progress
Unfinished oil paintings on canvas.
Painting inside the the former Cruise ship Terminal at Darling Harbour 8 painted in July-August 2010

BAR7 'Empty Hall, Wharf 8' 2010

oil on canvas 61 x 183cm

Enquiries about these paintings

My paintings of the soon to be demolished

Wharf 8 cruise ship terminal at South Barangaroo

Enquiries about these paintings 
I make the big move out of the terminal, as it is soon to be demolished.

"Grabber, ripper,muncher"
2010 oil painting on canvas 31 x 31cm
Enquiries about these paintings 
Yes, they actually are the proper names of the attachments to the excavators! I'm not making them up. Truly.

The "Grabber" is in the centre, the "Ripper" is the wicked looking blade on the right, while the "Muncher" is the monster with the mad fluoro pink "eye" and the toothy jaws in front of the red door to the left. The workmen promised me that there is also a "Pulverizer" that will arrive later.

This I have to see!

Left to right and top to bottom:
"Behind the red door"
2010 oil painting on canvas 31 x 31cm
"Grabber, ripper,muncher"
2010 oil painting on canvas 31 x 31cm
"Excavators at rest"
2010 oil painting on canvas 56 x 76cm
Enquiries about these paintings

A good day at the office! Three paintings completed before I was kicked out!

Left to right and top to bottom:
"May open without warning"
2010 oil painting on canvas 56 x 76cm
"May close without warning"
2010 oil painting on canvas 56 x 76cm
Enquiries about these paintings
Everything must go!
This was the very last day that I was able to leave my easels and canvases inside the terminal.
I've been kicked out of Wharf 8 and now have moved my stuff into a room in the loading dock of the old Sydney Ports Corporation Maintenance Depot that has been recently used to display the designs for Barangaroo.
Not for long, apparently - Bovis LendLease has already moved the entrance twice and I've noticed construction of new site offices starting in the north-west corner.
This building will obviously be the next to go after the DH8 terminal.
Exactly when is anyone's guess.

Related posts

Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo Part 2
 
Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo

My Paintings at the Sydney Open : Part 1

My exhibition: "From the Hungry Mile to Barangaroo" (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

Storm warning, Goat Island (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

Behind the Red Door

Barangaroo : Terminal - Loading Dock
Plein air oil paintings on canvas of the former Cruise ship Terminal at Darling Harbour 8  painted in July 2010

"Behind the red door " 2010

oil on canvas 31 x 31cm

Enquiries about this painting
A tantalizing glimpse of Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont behind the door within a door.
Painted inside the loading dock of the former Cruise ship Terminal at Darling Harbour Wharf 8, which will be demolished in a few weeks time.

Related posts

A Tale of two Pyrmont Hotels - 'The Terminus and the Point'

"May close without warning" My Solo Exhibition at the Frances Keevil Gallery

Cut off (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

View from the ivory tower (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

Sitzkrieg (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

The Calm before the storm

Paintings of the gantry of the former cruise ship terminal Wharf 8 at Barangaroo

"The Gantry of the former Cruise ship Terminal

at Darling Harbour Wharf 8"

oil painting on canvas 31 x 61cm

Enquiries about this painting

This is a plein air oil painting on canvas of the exterior of the deserted former cruise ship terminal at Darling Harbour Wharf 8, looking west towards Pyrmont.

Pyrmont's Jones Bay Wharf, R.E.V.Y, Star City Casino and the Anzac Bridge are visible in the background.

Next week, Bovis LendLease and Cardinal Project Services will start demolition. This is my last chance to paint this area in peace and quiet.

Related posts

Behind the Red Door

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

The White Shed at White Bay

"May close without warning" Solo Exhibition, Frances Keevil Gallery

Sitzkrieg (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

Cut off (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

 
View from the ivory tower (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

The first cut is the deepest (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)
 
Barangaroo : A big white ship at a big white tent (barangarooartist.blogspot.com)

May close without warning

Paintings of former cruise ship terminal Wharf 8, Barangaroo.

This building was demolished in late August 2010.

It had only been opened in July 1999, for the expected influx of cruise ships for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

This painting shows the entrance to the loading dock, normally off limits to the public.

The door is open to the view north towards the Sydney Harbour Control Tower on the right and the new temporary cruise ship facilities in the marquee to the left.

Poignant reminders of the site's previous function create ironic, even surrealist undertones.

"May open without warning "
2010 oil on canvas 56 x 76cm
Enquiries about this painting

Painted from a similar viewpoint as "May close without warning..."

I changed the title from "Inside the loading dock of the former Cruise ship Terminal at Darling Harbour 8" to the more catchy "May Open without warning".
I had painted the sign on the ground but hadn't really noticed how it made a neat bookend to the other painting until my gallery pointed it out!
Through the doorway is the Sydney Harbour Control Tower and the marquee used for the temporary cruise ship facilities by Sydney Ports Corporation.

"May close without warning "
2010 oil on canvas 56 x 76cm
Enquiries about this painting

The title of this painting could double as my motto!
"May close without warning" says it all.
I never need to make jokes - the truth is quite adequately hilarious.

See my "Hungry Mile" page in this blog

See my "Millers Point" page in this blog

Related posts

Tie a yellow ribbon

The last of the Hungry Mile

Barangaroo "Tabula Rasa"

Cruising

Barangaroo : Paintings of the Pacific Jewel at the temporary cruise ship terminal

"The Pacific Jewel arrives at Barangaroo" 2010
oil painting on canvas 36 x 46 cm
Enquiries about this painting
janecooperbennett@gmail.com

The first cruise ship to use the temporary facilities at Barangaroo was the 'Pacific Jewel', coincidentally the last cruise ship to dock at the old terminal, at Darling Harbour Wharf 8.

I painted this and several other canvases on the wharf itself. I had to go through the X ray with all of my painting gear.

I forgot and left my palette knife in my trolley luggage, so I had a bit of explaining to do! 

"The 'Pacific Jewel ' at the new temporary facility at Darling Harbour"
Diptych- 2010 oil painting on canvas 25 x 51 cm each
Total image size 25 x 102cm
Enquiries about this painting
I made the most of my unprecedented access to areas usually forbidden to the public to paint the hidden side of the cruise ship experience- from the viewpoint of those who make it possible.
Soon the White Bay sheds will be demolished and replaced by the new cruise ship terminal, which will be built in about 2 years.

The Pyrmont wharves and the beige towers of Star City Casino are visible in the background to the left behind the tangle of ropes.

I spent a great deal of my time between about 1982 - 1996 painting all over Pyrmont, you can see more details at my Pyrmont page in this blog.

 See my "Painting Barangaroo" blog

Related posts

 Millers Point

The Hungry Mile

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

Painting the 'Maersk Gateshead' from the wharf at Barangaroo
Enquiries about this painting
This was the last container ship ever to enter Sydney Harbour. I was permitted to paint it, not only from the wharf, but from the bridge of the ship, courtesy of the Captain, Mark Carter.
 

On my easel is the completed oil painting of the

'Maersk Gateshead' which I sold to the Captain.

Enquiries about similar paintings
I spent 4 days painting from different vantage points on the ship, knowing that I was witness to the end of an era.

Painting the 'Maersk Gateshead' from the wharf at Barangaroo
Enquiries about this painting
The 'Maersk Gateshead' only made her unplanned visit to Sydney Harbour because her engines became disabled. Rather than return to Port Botany or sail further into Sydney Harbour to dock at Glebe Island, as originally planned, the Captain decided to make use of the recently vacated wharf at Barangaroo
DH255 'Early morning, the Maersk Gateshead at Barangaroo'
2010 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm
Enquiries about this painting

The 'Maersk Gateshead' was not originally intended to enter Sydney Harbour at all. It had been near Botany, when it was discovered that the engines were disabled, and after some discussion, it was decided at first to send it to Glebe Island.

I was painting the ex-Hmas Adelaide and the OES Barge which were both then docked at Glebe.

DH257 'The Maersk Gateshead, preparing to depart Barangaroo'
2010 oil on canvas 40 x 120cm
Enquiries about this painting

On the 7th June the OES Barge was waiting for the weather conditions to permit it to go to Botany, where it was to start the trials for laying cables.

There was quite a big swell at Botany- a wide windy shallow bay at the best of times.

Suddenly the OES people were told to move the barge from Glebe to neighbouring White Bay, to accomodate the disabled ship.

Painting the 'Maersk Gateshead' from the
bridge of the ship at Barangaroo.
An unfinished oil painting of the panorama
from Pyrmont and White Bay to Balmain 25 x 152cm

Enquiries about this painting

But the expected ship did not arrive at Glebe - the captain had decided to instead move his ship, the 'Maersk Gateshead', to the vacant lot at the former DH5.

Painting the 'Maersk Gateshead' from the
bridge of the ship at Barangaroo.
A central view of the prow of the ship
featuring its rows of containers.
The Sydney CBD and the heritage terrace
houses of Miller's Point are in the background.
Oil painting on canvas 38 x 76cm
Enquiries about this painting

DH256 'The 'Pacific Jewel at wharf 7 from
the bridge of the Maersk Gateshead'
2010 oil on canvas 38 x 76cm
Enquiries about this painting
The ship was not unloaded at the wharf, but waited for repairs and finally left at 3pm Monday 14th June. I understood the historical significance and made sure that I took advantage of the situation.
As well as painting from the dockside, after a bit of negotiation I was permitted to paint from the bridge of the ship itself.

"Night, 'Pacific Jewel' from the bridge of the Maersk Gateshead"

2010 oil painting on canvas 61 x 91 cm

Enquiries about this painting

From the bridge of the "Maersk Gateshead"at night. The "Pacific Jewel" Cruise ship is turning in the background, ready to depart Sydney Harbour.

This was a historic moment - the last time that a cruise ship would dock at the old cruise ship terminal at Darling Harbour Wharf 8.

It is highly unlikely that any other container ship will ever be allowed to dock at Barangaroo again.

If the recent article by Paul Keating in the Sydney Morning Herald is any indication, the cruise ships will be evicted to White Bay as soon as possible.

Related articles

Paintings of the old Port

Millers Point, 3 Years On

Out from the storerooms -paintings from the State library Collection

Related Posts

Ships that pass

Last of the Hungry Mile

Tie a yellow ribbon

Eaten by robots

The mother art is architecture