Barangaroo - tabula rasa

Today's painting on the deck is a panorama painted on the East Darling Harbour Wharves. It includes 2 of my former studios - the Harbour Control Tower and Moore's Wharf.

The now demolished Harbour Control Tower dominates the empty wharf. A row of pink terraces perch on top of the golden sandstone escarpment
while the Sydney Harbour Bridge can be glimpsed behind Moore's Wharf, a handsome heritage sandstone building housing the Sydney Ports Corporation.

The cute little federation building on the left is a Federation era sewage pumping station. It has since been cleaned up and relocated.

BAR60 'Barangaroo north -
The Harbour Tower,
escarpment and Moore's Wharf 2'
2010 oil on canvas 38 x 76cm

This canvas was painted just after the wharves had been cleared of all their maritime infrastructure, and just before work began on the construction of the Barangaroo Headland Park that replaced it.
It shows a place in a state of limbo.
I've included a couple of photos of this and a couple of other canvases as works in progress, to show some of the process involved in their creation.
I had to lug a french box easel, paint, brushes, medium, canvases, a couple of tables, a chair, and my lunch, packed inside trolley luggage. After doing this for several decades, I've become quite fit and strong!

Plein air oil painting behind the barrier
on the East Darling Harbour Wharves
Showing this canvas as a work in progress
with my trolley luggage, table, chair, french box easel,
paints, brushes and other equipment.

Barangaroo is a paradox.
The area now known as Barangaroo was off limits to the public for over a hundred years but was the central core of Sydney's economy. Necessary, yet ignored ; in full view yet strangely invisible.

Now it is centre stage, hotly debated and fought over, yet still unknown to the vast majority of Sydney.
Once a despised slum - now prime waterfront. Only the fashion has changed...

BAR60 'Barangaroo north -
The Harbour Tower,
escarpment and Moore's Wharf 2'
2010 oil on canvas 38 x 76cm

It had a complex. fascinating multi-layered history but has been treated as though it is tabula rasa - a blank canvas for architects to impose their will upon.

Nearly 200 years of maritime heritage disappeared with barely a token gesture to its previous existence.

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North Barangaroo Headland Park - The thin blue line

My stint as 'Artist in Residence' in my Studio on the top floor of the Sydney Ports Corporation's Moore's Wharf has given me a front row seat to paint the evolution of the former Wharf 3 at East Darling Harbour Wharves (formerly the Customs Shed) into the North Barangaroo Headland Park.

 MW16 'North Barangaroo Headland Park-
The 'Blue Line' from Moore's Wharf ' 
2011 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm

Enquiries about this painting

I painted this in September 2011 from the western window of my Moore's Wharf studio, which overlooks the construction site that will soon be the North Barangaroo Headland Park.
Apart from the recent Open day in June, Barangaroo would still probably be an unfamiliar location to most people,  unless they live or work locally.

In the background of these 2 paintings, Balmain is the headland on the left, Goat Island is on the right, and in the centre distance is Ballast Point in Birchgrove. Ballast Point, formerly a derelict refuelling depot, was refashioned into a park in 2008 by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. I'd been lucky enough to be able to paint a series of paintings at Ballast Point just before its transformation.

Some of the structures which were around the Ballast Point fuel tanks are still in a rusting heap mouldering away behind the White Bay Power Station, and can be seen in a couple of paintings I created on site as Artist in Residence at the White Bay Power Station.

On the concrete of the former wharf, there's a blue line painted in a series of stylized curves and zig-zags , to divide land from sea. A little like the line painted on many Sydney streets for the marathon of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, which is still visible in the oddest places.

No Olympic athletes here, just the odd local jogger or dog walker.

It's also a weird echo of the seemingly abstract lines of different colours used in its previous incarnation as a wharf, to distinguish pedestrian walkways from truck parking zones.

On the southern side of the line the sign "Headland Park" has been painted on a green background. On the other side of the line "Sydney Harbour" has been painted in the now ubiquitous Barangaroo blue.
Soon after this was painted, excavation began.

According to the Barangaroo Delivery Authority, the coastline is intended to follow the contours of the shore as it was before European settlement.

Liiterally, "cut along the dotted line".

 MW28 'North Barangaroo Headland Park -
The caissons from Moore's Wharf '
2013 oil on canvas 36 x 46cm
Enquiries about this painting

And, as you can see, they did.

This was painted in February 2013.

By this stage, the skin of the concrete surface has been pierced.

The caissons of the north end of the wharf are now exposed and full of water like a lot of tiny swimming pools.

The geometric symmetry of the wharf still remains, but mounds of sand and gravel hint at the new shoreline yet to come.
Soon the straight edge of the wharf will be broken, the caissons removed and the yellowblock sandstone will be carefully positioned around the new shoreline.

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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.

 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.

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.

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 

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

 

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.

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.

 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.

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Painting 'Millers Point' from Moore's Wharf

This small canvas is of Miller's Point - the boat, that is - not its namesake suburb up the hill!

MW14 'Millers Point'
2013 oil on canvas 41 x 31cm
Available for sale
There's quite a motley collection of work vessels big and small, berthed at the Sydney Port Corporation's Port Jackson headquarters at Moore’s Wharf.

MW14 'Millers Point'
2013 oil on canvas 41 x 31cm
Available for sale
As I arrived, "Millers Point", Sydney Port Corporation’s new emergency response launch, was being lifted from the water onto piles of huge tyres on the wharf, alongside the crane.
Usually it's in the water at its customary berth in front of Moore's Wharf, but it was waiting to get its twin 225hp Honda outboard motors serviced.

MW14 'Millers Point'
2013 oil on canvas 41 x 31cm
Available for sale
I hadn't painted this new addition to Sydney Port Corporation's fleet before, & I decided to capture the drama of the boat lift in a small canvas.

I must admit that I was still mourning the loss of the historic old warhorse, the 'Poolya', which had been broken up at Glebe Island Wharf, in early February 2013, not long before.
"Millers Point" was designed in Western Australia by Global Marine and built by Axiom Alloys of Mt Druitt.
"Millers Point", is 9.3m in length with a beam of 3.35m and a draft of 0.55m. It has a speed that can exceed 40kn. It has a trihedral hull & is fitted with a 6hp stand-alone fire pump.

MW14 'Millers Point'
2013 oil on canvas 41 x 31cm
Available for sale

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Painting the 'Shirley Smith' at Moore's Wharf

Boat at Goat

The Shirley Smith is now on the slipway on the western side of Goat Island.

The last few canvases that I have completed at Moore's Wharf have  Goat Island as their main subject.
The eastern side of the Island which faces Moore's Wharf, features the old amenities block, which was once the site of the iconic TV series "Water Rats", and the heritage cottages which once housed the headquarters of the Harbour Master.
The western side of Goat Island still has an operating shipyard, one of the last vestiges of Sydney's rich heritage as a working harbour.
The only hint of this on the eastern side is the barely visible tip of the crane poking out from the treetops.

Starting a small oil sketch of the

"Shirley Smith" on the Goat Island slipway, 

oil on canvas 13 x 18cm

Enquiries about this painting

Several years ago I managed to paint on Goat Island, but it was difficult to arrange access there, and even more importantly, back.

It's a long swim to shore.

I have longed to return to paint on Goat Island, and last week I finally got my wish.
I hitched a ride on the "Mann's Point", courtesy of Sydney Ports Corporation, and painted 2 tiny oil sketches.

Starting a small oil sketch of the

"Shirley Smith" on the Goat Island slipway, 

oil on canvas 13 x 18cm

Enquiries about this painting

I had a great vantage point as I was sitting on a jetty directly opposite.

My first small oil sketch of the "Shirley Smith" on the Goat Island slipway, oil on canvas 13 x 18cm 

Enquiries about this painting

Next time, I must take some larger canvases, as I would like to include the crane.
I might not get the opportunity to return until the end of this week as there have been so many commitments and distractions.
My solo exhibition continues until the end of the month. Once the paintings had been hung, and the official opening was over,  I  had to organize a panel discussion and an artist's talk.

Another view of my small oil sketch of the

"Shirley Smith" on the Goat Island slipway,

oil on canvas 13 x 18cm

Enquiries about this painting

I have left one of my French box easels on Goat Island, to make it easier for me to return with larger canvases.

The people at the shipyard have been wonderful. They are so friendly and easygoing, and have so much passion for the unique maritime heritage of Goat Island.

Starting my second small oil sketch of the

"Shirley Smith" on the Goat Island slipway,

oil on canvas 15 x 31cm

Enquiries about this painting

Painting on the island is an inspiring experience, but the trouble is that if I have left something behind, I have to do without until next time.

It can be awkward to take equipment there, and even more awkward to take it back.
I tried to take the bare minimum of stuff in my trolley luggage, but even so I needed help to lug my easel from the boat to the ramp.

My 2nd small oil sketch of the "Shirley Smith"

on the Goat Island slipway 

oil on canvas 15 x 31cm

Enquiries about this painting

My return journey to Moore's Wharf was with the apprentice boat repairers,  in a much smaller boat.

They were keen to get home, so it was a fast and bumpy Harbour cruise. 

It was made even more exciting by having to juggle two small wet canvases and make sure that they didn't fall in the water.

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"Lashed to the Mast" - Plein Air painting as extreme sport

I wanted to try painting a large canvas of the spectacular view of Goat Island from Moore's Wharf for my solo exhibition "From the Hungry Mile to Barangaroo" which is now on display at the Frances Keevil Gallery.

I never do anything by halves, so I got the biggest canvas that would fit inside my station wagon - 122 x 183cm!

My Artist's Studio in a suitcase

I always pack my paint, brushes and other necessary items such as lunch into trolley luggage, as it is less of a strain on my back than carrying a bag. When I use a small easel, such as a French box easel, I also pack it into trolley luggage so I can roll or drag it rather than have to carry it.
I was worried about the canvas going hang-gliding over Sydney Harbour, or even snapping in two which happened while I was painting the Sydney Heritage Fleet from Blackwattle Bay.
The solution was to take a studio easel as well as a French box easel, and to use cable ties to secure the canvas to the studio easel, and the easel to a large chunk of timber.
The most important thing is not to forget to bring a good sharp pair of scissors to remove the cable ties!
The studio easel had casters so I could move it around without too much trouble. I used the French box easel to store my paint, medium and brushes.

I've had to cable tie the large canvas to my studio easel

The renowned 19th century marine painter J.M.W.Turner used to boast that he was once "lashed to the mast" to witness a storm at sea as inspiration.

I've had to cable tie the large canvas

to my studio easel- and then cable tie

the easel to a timber block!

I've always loved Turner's paintings and now I feel that I am literally following in his footsteps!

Timber block and easel

Quite literally.

Like Turner,who also had a predilection for painting enormous canvases, I'm also very short, so I had to stand on this useful block of wood so I could reach up to paint the sky!

Timber block and easel used by
plein air painter Jane Bennett

It felt like a long way down!

Starting a large plein air painting

of Goat Island from Moore's Wharf

about 7.30am.

I like to prime the canvas with a coloured ground before I paint. This technique is called "imprimatura" and it helps to reduce the glare reflected by a white canvas outdoors, as well as giving more depth to the tones.

Usually I prime a canvas blue when I'm about to paint Sydney Harbour, but this black primed canvas was originally intended for an interior of the Eveleigh Railway workshops.
Another essential ingredient is really good coffee, as you can see from the plunger on the chair. I always pack a non-leaking thermos of hot water in my trolley luggage. Unfortunately the milk has to be longlife UHT milk, as fresh milk will go off in the sun by the afternoon, and there isn't always any shade where I paint, as I mostly paint on wharves or industrial sites.

My large plein air painting of
Goat Island from Moore's Wharf
at about 8am

Black actually turned out to be a good choice. 
The day started bright and sunny, but the clouds gathered quickly. 
The calm morning Sydney Harbour seascape I had originally intended to paint was soon transformed into a brooding study of an impending storm.

My large plein air painting of
Goat Island from Moore's Wharf
at about 9am

 Plein air painting is full of abrupt changes of mood and direction, which is why I enjoy it so much.
It feels almost as much like a sport as art.
The amount of physical strength involved in just being able to handle a canvas of this size out in the open air is surprising. I have to work out just so I can keep lugging my easels up and down stairs.
The other thing that is underestimated by the people who view the finished canvas in a pristine white-walled gallery, is the amount of concentration required to sustain the atmosphere over the hours required to finish a work of this size.

My large plein air painting of
Goat Island from Moore's Wharf
at about 9.30am

 Light, shadow and colours of the sea and sky change constantly, and it takes the reflexes of an elite tennis player to even attempt to capture these fleeting effects.

My large plein air painting of
Goat Island from Moore's Wharf
at about 10am

Apart from the skill needed to paint these fleeting effects, it also takes a great deal of experience and judgement to decide which are worth capturing.

My large plein air painting of
Goat Island from Moore's Wharf
at about 11am

 By noon, I had most of the canvas painted,and it was looking very promising, but an hour later the weather had changed dramatically.
Dark clouds started to cover the sky and the sea changed colour from turquoise to prussian blue, then to slate grey.
The wind whipped up, and I had to decide whether it was too risky to continue.

My large plein air painting of
Goat Island from Moore's Wharf
at about noon

If I decided to continue the painting on another day with similar weather conditions, there was the risk of not being able to complete it in time for my exhibition. On the other hand, if I pressed on, it might get so windy that it would be physically dangerous to keep on painting.
I had almost as much canvas to cope with as some of the smaller yachts out on the harbour, who were starting to have trouble.
And if I wasn't careful, my canvas would have travelled just as fast in the wrong direction!

My large plein air painting of
Goat Island from Moore's Wharf
at about noon

 Also, the colour, mood and light conditions were so different from when I started that it would mean repainting almost everything!
The sensible choice probably would have been to put the canvas away and start a small study of the stormy conditions.
But I liked the dramatic light effects so much that I took a calculated risk and quickly repainted the canvas to reflect the changed conditions.

The completed canvas

'Storm, Goat Island' 2013
oil on canvas 122 x 183cm

Enquiries about this painting

I had to work very quickly. I didn't dare take a break for lunch in case my canvas wouldn't be there when I got back.
But I'm glad that I took the risk, as the canvas has really captured the colour and mood.
The brilliant yellow buoys surrounding the excavation of the North Barangaroo Headland Park contrast strongly with the ominous sky and dark, choppy sea.

'Storm, Goat Island' 2013
oil on canvas 122 x 183cm

Enquiries about this painting

 Art vs. life!

'Storm, Goat Island' 2013
oil on canvas 122 x 183cm

Enquiries about this painting

This photo best shows the painting in context with the landscape.

However large the canvas actually is, it will always look like a postage stamp compared with the real thing. I can assure you that this canvas is a lot bigger than I am!(I am 5' 1" which is fairly short even for a girl.)
By the time I took these photos, I was so worried about the canvas blowing away that I had to cable tie it to the container - I didn't dare risk putting it on the easel!

'Storm, Goat Island' 2013
oil on canvas 122 x 183cm

Enquiries about this painting

And finally a few days later, here it is hanging in my solo exhibition "From the Hungry Mile to Barangaroo" at the Frances Keevil Gallery. 

 

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