Roses and castles

[Derek R.]

Moved from U.C.C. fleet - where are they now

 

Couple of teasers, and most probably by owner boater painters.

 

The roses are knobstick style, not sure about the castle - anyone know?

 

 

Well, we met the artist at Braunston - Roger Hatchard. He grained and painted the roses and castles in Tycho, however, the castles on the cabin door panels are not his, someone else did them at a later date.

 

After considerable deterioration, and after those doors had been replaced, I rubbed them down and sealed them with three coats of diluted PVA (1:1 water PVA), sanding with a fine grade between each coat and after the third. Then several coats of good furniture polish, and they are with all the imperfections of wear and tear, but bright and hard. Very pleasing finish.

 

 

[cheshire~rose]

Well done!

 

They look great! I personally think the distress they show actually adds something to the story they tell.

[SarahB]

Well done!

 

They look great! I personally think the distress they show actually adds something to the story they tell.

 

I have castles and roses on my back and side doors. Both sets are in fairly poor condition and I was thinking about clear varnishing them to see if I can get them to last a bit longer? Do you think this is the best solution or is there another trick that I could use?

 

I've got no idea how old they are but seeing as the boat is only 21 I guess the paintings aren't any older than that! Is there any way of finding out who might have done them?

[Derek R.]

If you post a good picture someone may recognise the hand, or simply apply to the boat builder and ask who did the decoration, or who in the locality 'might' have done the decoration. Another route might be to seek out canal artists and ask again.

 

If the base surface is in fairly good order, then a rub down with some very fine paper and three or four coats of varnish will help maintain and stabilise the work. If wood is friable or soft through decay, these areas really need digging out and the underlying wood seized with some wood hardener or PVA. How deep you need to go may come as a shock, and filling may be required. It all depends on the level of deterioration and what you want it to look like as a finished item.

 

Anything old that has been restored to 'as new' condition has the unfortunate effect of erasing stories, and in some cases identities that dents, gouges and sometimes previous paint jobs mark out as a particular moment in time. The job needs to be 'Ship Shape', but an immaculate re-birth doesn't do it for me. Perhaps happily, not everyone would agree!

[Hairy-Neil]

Anything old that has been restored to 'as new' condition has the unfortunate effect of erasing stories, and in some cases identities that dents, gouges and sometimes previous paint jobs mark out as a particular moment in time. The job needs to be 'Ship Shape', but an immaculate re-birth doesn't do it for me. Perhaps happily, not everyone would agree!

 

By that way of thinking, 'Sickle' should have been left to its fate as a planter. I believe there are times when you just have to take the medicine, no matter how bitter the taste.....

[Delirium]

tch... how do I post a picture? img src="http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?autocom=gallery&req=si&img=2856"/ or maybe http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...si&img=2856

I have had this for many many years, is it at all familiar to anyone?

[Derek R.]

By that way of thinking, 'Sickle' should have been left to its fate as a planter. I believe there are times when you just have to take the medicine, no matter how bitter the taste.....

 

Absolutely Neil, a very brave and worthwhile effort by Dave, Matt and all. Much preferable to the plant pot, and a good reason why I'm glad not too many think like me!

 

Delirium - you're in the right direction with the IMG bit, but to make it work you need to open an account (easy and free) with one of the photo hosting websites. I use photobucket (only because it was the first one I tried and it works for me). With them, you start an album by 'uploading' from a selection of places - your computer will be one - and browse your photo files for the frame(s) required. Once uploaded, you will have a choice of four 'codes' with which you can copy and paste to a forum. IMG is the most common used, and clicking on the IMG code will automatically copy all of it to your clipboard. Then simply go back to the forum page and message window you are writing in, and paste your code in the required spot. It will not appear as a picture until you 'preview' your post, and regardless (more or less I guess) of the size of your picture, the forum software will resize it for best fit. Quite simple once you've got the hang of it, and lots of help and advise on the photo websites.

 

PS Just clicked on the link - that works. They look like an amateur hand, but with character. My daughter might recognise some Roly Poly Olie castles there . . . OK - I'm going . .

Edited July 15, 2008 by Derek R.

[Delirium]

Delirium - you're in the right direction with the IMG bit, but to make it work you need to open an account (easy and free) with one of the photo hosting websites. I use photobucket (only because it was the first one I tried and it works for me). With them, you start an album by 'uploading' from a selection of places - your computer will be one - and browse your photo files for the frame(s) required. Once uploaded, you will have a choice of four 'codes' with which you can copy and paste to a forum. IMG is the most common used, and clicking on the IMG code will automatically copy all of it to your clipboard. Then simply go back to the forum page and message window you are writing in, and paste your code in the required spot. It will not appear as a picture until you 'preview' your post, and regardless (more or less I guess) of the size of your picture, the forum software will resize it for best fit. Quite simple once you've got the hang of it, and lots of help and advise on the photo websites.

 

PS Just clicked on the link - that works. They look like an amateur hand, but with character. My daughter might recognise some Roly Poly Olie castles there . . . OK - I'm going . .

 

Thanks Derek I'll have a bash. I wish I had a scanner as I recently found some pics I took of Tycho barreling along the cut near Little Venice in the eighties. Might try taking pics of the pics with my digital camera some time instead. It was really good to see Tycho at Braunston recently, an impressive wee beastie.

 

The door I took a picture of and posted was not the door I asked for when I found out the boat was being broken up - I'd asked for the cabin doors with the panels by Tony Lewry, they got burnt - argh!

[RLWP]

 

Hi, here are two pictures taken on Tawny Owl demonstrating the Alvechurch Roses from I would guess the late 1980's.

 

Anyone know who painted them? I shall have another go at a picture of the side hatch doors.

 

Richard

 

Good picture of our extra long rear door bolt too!

Edited July 17, 2008 by RLWP

[Phil Speight]

 

Hi, here are two pictures taken on Tawny Owl demonstrating the Alvechurch Roses from I would guess the late 1980's.

 

Anyone know who painted them? I shall have another go at a picture of the side hatch doors.

 

Richard

 

Good picture of our extra long rear door bolt too!

This may annoy you. Two different painters. The first called either Carl or Craig something - the latter I think - ( which will come back to me -we worked together briefly at Ellesmere Port). He lived on a converted pontoon with a big black and rather silly dog called Bonzo and traded as Art Afloat . Last heard of living in Amsterdam after legal matters ( of an Amsterdamy nature ) got rather hot in England. Allegedly. Nice guy but not heading for greatness as a boat painter. I don`t know what may have become of Bonzo ( who was a shoe in to play The Hound of the Baskervilles any day of the week )- but he was the basis of a couple of hilarious incidents.

The other , more conventional roses were painted , I think perhaps by the wife of a splendid chap who now runs a video brokerage and lived on a superb converted station boat called errr............... both sometime friends of mine - but it`s all heading for 20 years ago now. My memory is horrendous these days - but I`m pretty well certain of what little I have managed to remember here.

Phil

 

Why did my last reply go all long and peculiar.

Help!

[RLWP]

This may annoy you. Two different painters. The first called either Carl or Craig something - the latter I think - ( which will come back to me -we worked together briefly at Ellesmere Port). He lived on a converted pontoon with a big black and rather silly dog called Bonzo and traded as Art Afloat . Last heard of living in Amsterdam after legal matters ( of an Amsterdamy nature ) got rather hot in England. Allegedly. Nice guy but not heading for greatness as a boat painter. I don`t know what may have become of Bonzo ( who was a shoe in to play The Hound of the Baskervilles any day of the week )- but he was the basis of a couple of hilarious incidents.

The other , more conventional roses were painted , I think perhaps by the wife of a splendid chap who now runs a video brokerage and lived on a superb converted station boat called errr............... both sometime friends of mine - but it`s all heading for 20 years ago now. My memory is horrendous these days - but I`m pretty well certain of what little I have managed to remember here.

Phil

 

Why did my last reply go all long and peculiar.

Help!

 

 

Thanks Phil. That they are by two different painters is no surprise - they are quite different in style. The side hatch doors are by the same painter as the second picture, I'll try and get a picture of those as well. If you do manage to remember any names...

 

The rear doors may not be very sophisticated but they are still fun. The top and side hatches have clearly had a lot more time spent on them with the border scumbled.

 

Richard

 

Well, the right side side hatch doors are painted. Apparently the left ones were lost in the bottom of a lock during her last season on hire!!