Artist in Residence on the tall ship James Craig Part 1- Sailing to Garden Island

I packed before dawn so that I could hitch a ride with Sydney Heritage Fleet's Tall Ship James Craig on its way from its usual berth at Wharf 7, Pyrmont to the dry dock at Garden Island.

My small gouache study of the

Sydney Heritage Fleet's tug

'Bronzewing' alongside the 'James Craig'

Available

I painted a few small, quick gouache studies of the tall ship and tug on board, just to warm my hands up.

My small gouache study of the

Sydney Heritage Fleet's tug

'Bronzewing' alongside the 'James Craig'

Available

I will be 'Artist in Residence' at the Garden Island dry dock painting two tall ships, the 'HMB Endeavour' replica and the 'James Craig'.

They will be getting their undersides ship shape in preparation for the International Fleet Review in October.

My small gouache study of the

Sydney Heritage Fleet's tug 'Bronzewing'

alongside the 'James Craig'

Available

I have stashed my easel, paints, brushes and lots of spare canvases in the deckhouse of the 'James Craig' which will be my studio until its departure from Garden Island on or about 15th June.

Related posts

Artist in Residence at the Sydney Heritage Fleet Part 6 - 'Hail, hail, the gang's all here!'
Painting the Spirit of Tasmania in Garden Island Drydock
Painters and dockers - Artist in Residence on the tall ship 'James Craig' Part 2

Not the Writers Festival- Exhibition of Pyrmont Paintings by Jane Bennett at 2013 Pyrmont Festival

I exhibited these historic paintings of Pyrmont at the 2013 Pyrmont festival in conjunction with the Frances Keevil Gallery

Exhibition of paintings of Pyrmont by Jane Bennett

at the 2013 Pyrmont Festival

contact me

The weather couldn't have been better for the 2013 Pyrmont Festival. A couple of the calmest, sunniest autumn days I've ever experienced in Sydney.

This festival is held on the former Water-Police site, where I used to have several studios during the late 1980s - mid 1990s.

Exhibition of paintings of Pyrmont by Jane Bennett

at the 2013 Pyrmont Festival

contact me

This time the festival in Pirrama Park was for the whole weekend, which gave many more people a chance to see my exhibition.

 I had brought 55 paintings on canvas and board for the exhibition. The largest was the 61 x 183cm canvas of a panorama of "Union Square" and the smallest was a tiny canvas of a strange little sign on top of the former F.L. Barker/Waite and Bull woolstore on the corner of Pyrmont Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road.

Exhibition of paintings of Pyrmont by Jane Bennett

at the 2013 Pyrmont Festival

contact me

This year I had written 2 small booklets about my paintings and drawings of Pyrmont. The text was partly based on some of the posts in this blog.

Exhibition of paintings of Pyrmont by Jane Bennett

at the 2013 Pyrmont Festival

contact me

I printed some prototype copies as an experiment, intending to display them at the festival. I partly wanted people to be able to read the text as, even with the help given to me by  my gallerist Frances Keevil I can't always manage to talk to everyone who wants to know something about a particular painting. My other goal was to get some feedback. 

Exhibition of paintings of Pyrmont by Jane Bennett

at the 2013 Pyrmont Festival

contact me

One of these booklets, "Pyrmont - Shadows of the Past" was about my charcoal, ink and gouache drawings of Pyrmont  in a simple, classic black and white format. 

The other booklet "Pyrmont Paintings" displayed the paintings to great advantage on a dark blue background. but unfortunately this choice made the black text almost invisible. The printer service had offered a very limited choice of templates, fonts and colours. I had used them because I had been flat out painting and exhibiting since the beginning of this year and had very little time or energy left to prepare for the Pyrmont Festival. The booklets were an afterthought. I wrote and designed them both in a single day to meet the deadline for a discount printing deal.

In a way, this was good. I have a tendency to perfectionism, and faced with limitless choice and no deadline I can become paralyzed with fear. I thought that I needed to write something, anything at all, however lame, and then improve it.

I wasn't actually intending to sell them at all. I gave copies to the people who bought paintings, or were seriously interested in purchasing. I also gave a couple to the gallery so that we could . I was stunned at the number of people who flatly insisted on paying $10, $12, $15 or even $20 for a booklet! I tried to insist that they were free, as they were just experiments. Apart from a misplaced comma and a couple of oddly proportioned margins the black and white booklet looked very elegant, but the beautiful blue background of the painting book had unfortunately made the writing completely illegible and there were a couple of font discrepancies. Trying to finish the 2nd booklet by the midnight deadline had nearly sent me cross-eyed.

I pointed out the errors, but it didn't seem to faze anyone; they still insisted on paying for them! 

We sold over 50 booklets, and we weren't actually even trying to sell them at all!

Exhibition of paintings of Pyrmont by Jane Bennett

at the 2013 Pyrmont Festival

contact me

I only have one of each left now, and I'd better hang on to them as I'd like to have them in front of me when I finally sit down with the gallery's designer and plan a better publication.

So, it's not yet the Writer's Festival, and I'm not an author.

However the reaction has given me a great deal of confidence. People have been nagging me for years to write about my paintings, but now I know that they are serious.

"Decisions, decisions... which one should I buy?"

Exhibition of paintings of Pyrmont by Jane Bennett

at the 2013 Pyrmont Festival

contact me

As well as my unexpected excursion into literature, it was a very interesting and successful event on a number of different levels.

I reconnected with lots of people who once lived or worked in Pyrmont as well as many of the new residents of Jacksons Landing and the apartments on top of Pyrmont Point.
There were several sales and I am now preparing to paint an extremely large and prestigious commission resulting from a contact made on these 2 days.
Paintings of Pyrmont by Jane Bennett in Pirrama Park

Related posts

Painting Pyrmont - Sydney Living Museums

We like sheep - Waite and Bull Building


Artist in Residence at the Sydney Heritage Fleet Part 6

Pyrmont paintings past and present- My Exhibition in the Australian National Maritime Museum

I started my series of Pyrmont paintings over 30 years ago and I will still paint in Pyrmont occasionally.

If you enjoy my Pyrmont paintings please visit the Frances Keevil Gallery or contact me

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

Related Posts 

Painting the 'Poolya'

Painting the 'Shirley Smith' at Moore's Wharf

Artist in Residence at the Sydney Heritage Fleet Part 6 - 'Hail, hail, the gang's all here!'

I've finally finished painting this monster.
It literally nearly killed me.
My first attempt to paint the entire Rozelle contingent of the Sydney Heritage Fleet ended in disaster .
My canvas stretcher had snapped in two after it was caught by a gust of wind. I fell into the murky waters of Blackwattle Bay and was lucky not to be seriously injured.
This tested the limits of the possibilities of plein air painting.

First version of SHF6 'Sydney Heritage Fleet at Rozelle' 2013 

oil on canvas 122 x 183cm

Available

But all the time and trouble has been worth it.
The entire collection of Sydney Heritage Fleet vessels is here in all its glory, and more details are visible in this canvas than are possible to see from the park opposite Blackwattle Bay.

SHF6 'Sydney Heritage Fleet at Rozelle' 2013 

oil on canvas 122 x 183cm

Available

At 122 x 183cm, this canvas is even larger than the first!

I completed about 80% of it from the park, but to unscramble the confusing mass of masts, ropes and rigging, I had to paint the finishing touches from the Rozelle headquarters of the Sydney Heritage Fleet itself.

I am a member of ASMA, the Australian Society of Marine Artists.
In 2008 the Sydney Heritage Fleet in conjunction with the Australian Society of Marine Artists inaugurated an Artist in Residence programme, with the commission from sale of paintings going towards funding the Fleet's maintenance.
Our group of 10 artists will hold an exhibition of our completed paintings on the 'tween decks of the tall ship 'James Craig', which is the jewel in the crown of the Sydney Heritage Fleet, from 27th April 2013 - 3rd May 2013.
As well as this enormous canvas, I will exhibit 16 other paintings. Some of these were painted at the Rozelle headquarters, some from the Noakes slipways, others from the Australian National Maritime Museum and others from vantage points around Sydney Harbour.
The official opening will be 2pm on Saturday 27th April by Tanya Plibersek MP.
Everyone is welcome!

Exhibition SALT IN THE AIR From Saturday 27th April - Sunday 4th May 2013 (asma-artistinresidence.blogspot.com)

Related posts

"Lashed to the Mast" - Plein Air painting as extreme sport
'From the Hungry Mile to Barangaroo'
Artist in Residence at the Sydney Heritage Fleet - Part 4 'Blowing in the wind'
SlippingAway
Follow the Fleet- Artist in Residence at the Sydney Heritage Fleet-
Part 5
Jane Bennett paints the 'Lady Hopetoun' (asma-artistinresidence.blogspot.com)

We like sheep - Waite and Bull Building 137 Pyrmont Street

'All we like sheep have gone astray' was one of the Advent, Christmas and Easter biblical texts to which Handel set his great oratorio Messiah. This chorus in F major is from Part II and the primary source of the libretto is Isaiah 53 :6.
My Granny, who had a beautiful soprano voice and sang in the Philharmonic for many years, would still get the giggles when singing "We like sheep".
She called it the national anthem of New Zealand.

'Ghost Sign on top of the Waite and Bull Building,
137 Pyrmont Street'
2013 oil on canvas 13 x 18cm
Enquiries

Australia once rode on the sheep's back.

This sheep hasn't exactly gone astray, but it looks a bit perturbed.
It is a surreal adornment to an otherwise solemn warehouse conversion on the corner of Pyrmont Street and the Pyrmont Bridge road.
Nobody seems to notice it except me.
The drivers and pedestrians are too busy negotiating the chaotic intersection to be able to look up.
This building at 137 Pyrmont street, originally called the FL Barker Woolstore, was designed by Arthur Blacket and completed in 1884.
Although the building was built for F.L. Barker and Co. it was actually owned by Sydney businessman John Taylor. A sign on the other side still reads "John Taylor 1893".
From 1895 until 1923 it was leased to wool brokers Hill Clark and Co., then from 1923 until 1951 the Store was a wool store owned and operated by Wool Brokers William Haughton and Company.
From 1951 until 1973 it was owned by the commercial printers Waite and Bull, and it has been commonly known as the Waite and Bull Building ever since. In 1973 the building was bought by Stocks and Holdings Pty Ltd.
In the early 1990s it was extensively refurbished by the architects Allan Jack and Cottier. It was then the headquarters of the City-West Development Corporation, who kick-started the redevelopment of Pyrmont. I remember visiting them to beg permission to be allowed to paint in areas that were being demolished.
City-West Development Corporation later morphed into the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, who now reigns over an empire of the bits of Sydney Harbour not controlled by the Barangaroo Delivery Authority, Sydney Ports Corporation (now privatized) or the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust .
In comparison to other buildings of the time, Blacket's wool store had a simple elegance and dignity showing the influence of the architecture of the Chicago School. The manifesto of their leading architect Louis Sullivan had been 'form follows function' which meant using ornament sparingly and only if it is an integral part of the building's form.
The contrast between the sober dignity of the rest of the building and the sign makes the sheep swinging in a sling an even more startling image.
It was obviously considered to be very important, but I don't know whether this was part of Blacket's vision, or added by a later occupant. Most of Pyrmont's industrial heritage has been obliterated, but if you look carefully you can still find quirky and charming remnants of its industrial past.

In conjunction with the Frances Keevil Gallery, I'll have an exhibition of my Pyrmont paintings at the 2013 Pyrmont Festival at Pirrama Park.
This time my display will be extended to 2 days - Saturday 18th May and Sunday 19th May from 11am - 5pm.

FRANCES KEEVIL GALLERY,
  mob: 0411 821550
info@franceskeevilgallery.com.au

For more information see My Pyrmont page in this blog

Related posts

Marine Art Exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum

Looking over the overlooked-Urban decay in Pyrmont
To the Point
Wrong side of the tracks - Darling Island Bond and Free

Pretty vacant

A Tale of two hotels - the Terminus and the Point

Pyrmont Paintings past and present
Paintings of Pink pubs - Painting the Jolly Frog Part 2

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.

Related posts

Barangaroo-where Art, Architecture, History, Politics + Economics meet

Painting the Poolya at Glebe Island

Storm Warning, Goat Island

Lashed to the Mast - Plein air Painting at Moore's Wharf

From the Hungry mile to Barangaroo

Exhibition:Frances Keevil Gallery-Hungry Mile-Barangaroo

Walsh Bay - Paintings of the old Port

"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. 

 

Related posts

Artist in Residence-Sydney Heritage Fleet Part 4

From the Hungry Mile to Barangaroo

Painting the 'Poolya' at Glebe Island