Do you remember when this could have been you?
Big unmanageable oars that don’t want to work together! But insistence you won’t be beaten!
Oh the joy when you finally get it right!!!
“Sunset over Ladner Reach”
While always searching for new atmospheres to include in a work I was able to catch this evening composition set in the Ladner marches.
Sunset is always a magical time but especially while cruising through the marshes off Ladner. Here we see the sun setting over the marshes which are so important for the fish and fowl and must be protected at all cost.
“Autumn on the Fraser”
Autumn is always a magical time. The trees turn gold and red in the sunlight – a delight to capture in paint.
This view is off Captains Cove on a calm November morning and is looking north toward the BC Ferries maintenance facility.
“Gulf Island Retreat”
This is a view that I have painted before but, like so many well intentioned artists in the past who repaint a favorite subject, you can always see it in a different light.
This particular view allows one to play with dappled light as it filters through the trees playing on the fishing vessel and the water giving, hopefully, a really calming effect on the viewer.
“Tow for Sea”
This historic view of Steveston illustrates a tall ship being towed away from the Britannia Cannery early in the morning. Small gillnetters fish the river in an area now blocked by Steveston Island that was only developed in the 1950’s to protect the harbour from southeasterly gales.
“Guardians of the North”
In 2021 I was invited to join the new Canadian artic patrol ship ‘HMCS Harry DeWolf’, the first to be built of a class of six. The ship was the first Canadian naval vessel to transit through the arctic northwest passage since the 1950’s. She went on that same year to complete a circumnavigation of North America, a first for a Canadian naval vessel since 1954.
The ships were built to secure Canada’s claim of her arctic territory and assist in maintaining communities in the north. These ships would also work with US agencies in drug enforcement further south in the Caribbean and off the Mexican and the US coastlines.
“Tea Time in the Pagoda Anchorage (circa 1860)”
By 1860 Fouchow (English pronunciation of Fuzhou) had become China’s major seaport. Fast clipper ships gathered in the spectacular Pagoda Anchorage to load tea from junks and sanpans that brought their precious cargos from as far as 100 miles up the Min River.
When fully loaded the clippers would race around the world to England. Classic tales tell of 2 or 3 ships arriving in London on the same tide after being driven hard for anywhere from 116 to 160 days, neck and neck, across the world’s oceans. The first ship to arrive received the best price for its tea and prize money for its crews.
This painting shows a clipper ship arriving in the Pagoda Anchorage while other ships are already busy taking on cargo.
“The Bacino Di San Marco Anchorage”
The Bacino was the main anchorage in Venice for the many trading vessels that helped make the city so rich. It must have been a fascinating sight.
“The Big Push”
A large freighter being turned around at the entrance to Vancouver Harbour (British Columbia) is a clear demonstration of the power of small docking tugs.
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“Racing Classics”
Off Trial Island, British Columbia, Canada
When I was young my native Poole Habour was full of classic yachts. Of course, then, they were not called classics! J Many were gaff rigged, built of wood, with cotton sails and most with paid crews. Today, we are still drawn to such vessels lovingly restored and maintained. They exude a grace that can never be emulated by modern fibreglass yachts. [Read more…]