A view from a Bridge

A reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.
Here are some behind the scenes photos of the preparation :

Workman preparing a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

Workman preparing a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

Here a workman adds some finishing touches before the Reading Room is open to the public.

I'm in front of a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

I couldn't resist a sneak peek at the massive reproduction of my painting, so I crept down the stairs for a preview before the official opening!

I'm in front of a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

I'm used to seeing a little bit of construction debris around my paintings!

I'm in front of a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

The image has been enlarged to take up the entire wall behind the copying desk. It must be at least 3 times as large as the original canvas.
I wish I could have taken a canvas this large up to the top of the bridge, but I would have ended up hang- gliding all the way to New Zealand if I had!

State Librarian Alex Byrne opening the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

State Librarian Alex Byrne opened the doors to officially declare  new-look State Reference Library (SRL) OPEN at 9am this morning.

The Library staff wait expectantly for the doors to be opened.

I'm in front of a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

I was so thrilled that a reproduction of my painting 'Closing the Gap' is now displayed in the new look Reading Room!

I'm in front of a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

I'm in front of a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

The 'cats whiskers' of the cables radiate out from the pylons like open arms welcoming the visitors.

I'm in front of a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

I was amazed at the clarity of the image - how vibrant the ultramarine blue of the harbour appears. It has been described as "Yves Klein blue", but to me it is the quintessential Sydney blue, the blue of Brett Whiteley's Lavender Bay. Ultramarine - literally "outre mer" - beyond the sea. Originally ground from a semi precious stone, lapis lazuli, ultramarine was the most regal and expensive colour, used only to paint heaven or the cloaks of saints. Now this pigment has been replaced by cheap synthetic alternatives but the colour retains its almost mystical aura.

Ultramarine pigment

Lapis Lazuli

I'm in front of a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

One nice touch is that even though my signature should have been cropped and obscured by the skirting board holding the panel in place, the design team very thoughtfully added my signature to the image at the lower right corner. Visitors will also be able to use the QR sign on the wall to link with this blog.

I'm in front of a reproduction of my painting of the 'Closing of the Gap' painted from the top of the Anzac Bridge which is now the focus of the newly renovated Reading Room of the State Reference Library.

A quote from the website of the State Library :

 "Our love of Sydney is clear throughout the Library with some spectacular images from our world-renowned collection on show, including Jane Bennett’s stunning Closing the Gap (1995) and Thomas Woore’s Panorama of Sydney (1829)."

Related articles

• Renovation project at the State Reference Library

• Facebook - Photos of newly renovated State Reference Library 

• Constant Reader (janebennettartist.blogspot.com)
• Color Diary: Yves Klein Blue (casasugar.com)

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

Spin me round

'You spin me right round, baby
Right round like a record, baby
Right round round round...'
"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" a song by the British band Dead or Alive. which was released as a single in 1984, the first UK No. 1 hit produced by Stock Aitken Waterman.
Not long after the last workers from White Bay Power Station left, never to return.

WBPS66 'Spin me round' (record player from
recreation room in White Bay Power Station)
2009 oil on board 51.5 x 25.5cm
Available
The Record player from the Recreation room of the White Bay Power Station is the epitome of Jolie laide "ugly beautiful"
This horrible, yet oddly fascinating object was old and decrepit even back in the days when 'Dead or Alive' recorded their cheesy classic.

Record player from recreation room
in White Bay Power Station
It comes from a "lost" entertainment hall in a forsaken building - equal parts creepy and beautiful.
The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority had taken ownership of the White Bay Power Station in 2000, but were unaware of this hall's existence for several years.

Recreation room in White Bay Power Station
As you can see from my photo, this room was a time-capsule from the 1950s - murals, the old record player and even a pool table.
The record player sat on the canteen counter, still connected to the room's PA system, ping-pong tables were folded in the middle of the room and murals on the wall had survived.

Recreation room in White Bay Power Station
In this photo, you can see the very kind security guard in the background by the pool table.
In July 2011, shortly after these photos and my painting were done, the record player and pool table were removed, as well as 6 tonnes of pigeon droppings.This was part of a frantic clean out before one of the rare open days.
I was very lucky to be able to see this in situ, and even luckier to have enough time to paint it before it was taken out of its natural context.

Record player from the recreation Room in White Bay Power Station
This was the last time I saw it before it was taken away to be put into storage.
They left it on the ground outside, so I could paint it one last time , waiting for some curator of the future to rediscover it and find a purpose for it.
Waiting for whatever the future holds for the White Bay Power Station.
Art Gallery, funky bar, museum,offices, block of flats?
Tunnels and tollways will encircle it, the schmick new yet-to-be-built fishmarkets will be its neighbour.
The White Bay Power Station remains strangely still and silent in the eye of the tornado of change.
The redevelopment of the surrounding area spins around it.
Like a record, baby, Right round round round...'

Related Posts

Artist in Residence at White Bay Power Station

Artist in Residence at White Bay Power Station Part 2

Tower of power

Inside Out (Inside the White Bay Power Station)

Power House