Hammerhead Crane, Garden Island

Starting painting the Hammerhead Crane
on Garden Island
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The Hammerhead Crane on Garden Island was built between 1944- 1951.

It was still, at the time of this painting, the largest dockside crane in Australia, and one of only 15 still standing around the world.

Soon there will be only 14, as Sydney's Hammerhead Crane has not been used since 1996 and will soon be demolished.

I've been trying to get access to paint the Hammerhead Crane from Garden Island for over 2 years.
After a longer than usual struggle with bureaucracy, I finally gained permission to paint there during the Navy "Rap" period.

No hiphop is involved with the Navy's "Rap"- it's apparently an acronym for reduced activity over the Christmas holiday period.

As the sky became more overcast, I decided to repaint the background for a more dramatic effect.

I think about these structures as a paleontologist regards fossils as once living organisms, and to understand them in that light.

The specimens paleontologists collect are not the living creatures but the few skeletons and fragments that have had the good fortune to survive the lottery of decay and fossilization and come out on the other side as beautiful relics.
The sites I paint are usually relics.

My vantage point for my first painting of the Hammerhead Crane on Garden Island is from the Fitting out Wharf, just to the north of the crane.
I have often painted the Hammerhead Crane from Mrs Macquarie's Chair and the Woolloomooloo Fingerwharf opposite. From these viewpoints, the Hammerhead Crane looked like an leftover Meccano toy.
However now I am almost directly beneath it, I feel overwhelmed by the power and scale of this immense crane looming over me.
The mass of scaffolding unfortunately obscures much of the original structure, while fortunately also preventing it from dropping rusty remnants on my head from a great height.
The contractors will have to construct a temporary crane next to the Hammerhead, which will take several weeks.
The demolition process might take the better part of a year from start to finish, so there will be time to paint many more canvases.

"Hammerhead Crane from the
Fitting Out Wharf, Garden Island "
2014 oil on canvas 61 x 51cm
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Several of my paintings and drawings of the Hammerhead Crane have won multiple art awards.
I exhibited my series of paintings and drawings of the Hammerhead Crane at my solo exhibition at the Frances Keevil Gallery "Under the Hammer" 18th November - 7th December 2014.

More paintings with a naval theme
Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo Part 2

Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo

Painting 'Spirit of Tasmania' in Garden Island Drydock

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.

Related articles

Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo

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.

 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.

Starting to paint the sea on my canvas 
'USS Chosin at Barangaroo'
2013 oil on canvas  25 x 51cm 
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

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!

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.

 Starting my painting of
HMS Daring on Barangaroo wharf
Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

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.

Starting my painting of HMAS Parramatta
and HMAS Perth on Barangaroo wharf

Enquiries : janecooperbennett@gmail.com

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.

Related articles

Painting the International Fleet Review at Barangaroo Part 2

Painting Thompson Square, Windsor

Thompson Square, the oldest public town square in Australia,  is a charming and unique relic of the colonial Georgian era Sydney. It is the only town square remaining from the original five ‘Macquarie towns’ planned and designed by Governor Lachlan Macquarie.

Starting a plein air oil painting of Thompson Square, Windsor
oil on canvas 25 x 152cm
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This Precinct is listed on the Register of the National Estate, the National Trust and also on the NSW State Heritage Register as being of State heritage significance.

Starting a plein air oil painting of Thompson Square, Windsor
oil on canvas 25 x 152cm
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Most of the buildings in Thompson Square are regarded as of crucial historical and architectural merit. 

Half-way through my plein air oil painting of
Thompson Square, Windsor
oil on canvas 25 x 152cm
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The charm of Thompson Square is that it still retains the village square character originally intended by Macquarie.

Half-way through my plein air oil painting of
Thompson Square, Windsor
oil on canvas 25 x 152cm
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Windsor Bridge is the oldest existing bridge crossing the Hawkesbury River. The caisson deck supports are original and over 130 years old.
It was designed by the Public Works Department and constructed, between 1872-1874, by contractors Andrew Turnbull and William K. Dixon.

Half-way through my plein air oil painting of
Thompson Square, Windsor
oil on canvas 25 x 152cm
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A plaque that was placed on the bridge to celebrate Australia's Bicentenary quoting the then Minister for Public Works John Sutherland, who opened the bridge in 1874, states:
"I hope this bridge will last longer than the life of the youngest child who passes over it today.'

Australia's heritage.

Half-way through my plein air oil painting of
Thompson Square, Windsor
oil on canvas 25 x 152cm
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There are so many lovely viewpoints of the bridge, park, river and Georgian architecture that I found it difficult to choose!

Half-way through my plein air oil painting of
Thompson Square, Windsor
oil on canvas 25 x 152cm
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I decided to paint a panoramic canvas from the "Doctor's House" on the far left to the "School of Arts" building over the road on the right, with the lovely park in the centre.

Half-way through my plein air oil painting of
Thompson Square, Windsor
oil on canvas 25 x 152cm
Enquiries

The historic Windsor bridge, just to the right of the "Doctor's House" is linking the middle distance to the background, and the Hawkesbury river can just be glimpsed between the trees.

The artist painting Thompson Square, Windsor
oil on canvas 25 x 152cm
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Painting 'en plein air' in the oldest town square in Australia. I'm following the footsteps of Arthur Streeton, who painted "the Purple Noon's Transparent might" in the Hawkesbury district.

Related posts

The Boiling Frog

 Paintings of Pink Pubs -Painting the Jolly Frog Part 2

Fish and chips

The Phantom Toll House

See my page of Windsor paintings