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A Beautiful Buckby can

Geoffrey Hammond

By Geoffrey Hammond
in General Boating

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Geoffrey Hammond Collaborator

Geoffrey Hammond

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This topic is posted to bring to your attention an outstanding canalware artist who, because she works quietly and away from shows, is perhaps little known.

 

Earlier in the year, I travelled on the Worcester and Birmingham and came across a canal shop at Dunhampstead Wharf. It was newly set up and there, making beautiful rag rugs and painstakingly painting buckby cans, churns and more, was a most friendly lady - Jo Hunt. The whole shop was a delight, as though what was made and sold was done through love for the canals rather than love for money.

 

I ordered a buckby can for my boat. Jo tracked down an undecorated can and painted it with the attention to detail which seems so rare on much that is sold now. Yesterday, I collected it from a very proud artist. When I left the shop, I felt grateful and delighted and wanted to see if I could help ensure that this most excellent and quiet artist could thrive.

 

I hope this pst helps.

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bridgit Collaborator

bridgit

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This topic is posted to bring to your attention an outstanding canalware artist who, because she works quietly and away from shows, is perhaps little known.

 

Earlier in the year, I travelled on the Worcester and Birmingham and came across a canal shop at Dunhampstead Wharf. It was newly set up and there, making beautiful rag rugs and painstakingly painting buckby cans, churns and more, was a most friendly lady - Jo Hunt. The whole shop was a delight, as though what was made and sold was done through love for the canals rather than love for money.

 

I ordered a buckby can for my boat. Jo tracked down an undecorated can and painted it with the attention to detail which seems so rare on much that is sold now. Yesterday, I collected it from a very proud artist. When I left the shop, I felt grateful and delighted and wanted to see if I could help ensure that this most excellent and quiet artist could thrive.

 

I hope this pst helps.

Hope we can have some pictures, its always nice to see something by a different artist.

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dave moore Influencer

dave moore

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Hi all

I'm delighted to see such a positive comment about Jo's work, she's a spirited painter who deserves such praise.....and she cares about the painting, unlike much of the bloody awful souvenir work I see for sale in shops and chandleries. Andy is right to question the term "Buckby" can. Rolt started the trend in Narrowboat before I was born, but I believe the boat people referred to them as "watercans" not Buckby cans unless they had been puchased from the shop at Long Buckby.

Jo is a deservedly accreditted member of the Waterways Craft Guild. Her output is a refreshing antidote to the mainstream. Good on yer, Jo!!

Dave Moore

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Geoffrey Hammond Collaborator

Geoffrey Hammond

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It is excellent to see the friendly response to my post.

 

I do not believe Jo has a website but you can email her at k.hunt@btinternet.com

 

I am not a good photographer, nor a wizard with computers, but I hope I have attached two images of the can she has painted for me:

 

IMG]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo97/geoffreyhammond/buc2.jpg[/img]

 

IMG]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo97/geoffreyhammond/buc1.jpg[/img]

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dave moore Influencer

dave moore

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Hi again

Good to see that Jo's work is reaching a wider audience, I helped guide her brushstrokes when she was seeking accreditation with the Waterways Craft Guild. Having just spent 3 days at the national Festival, teaching lettering, and looking at the mostly awful displays of so-called "traditional" painted ware, I@m happy to recommend Jo for authentic quality work.

Chesire cans were a different pattern to the more common southern watercan, tho I think that the can Jo painted is more of the standard model than a Cheshire can. The latter has no lip on top of the bottom band which sits at right angles to the floor or cabin top. The standard cans are still tapered at this point. Only one bloke still makes Cheshire cans periodically and I think he has a full order book

Cheers

Dave Moore

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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Chesire cans were a different pattern to the more common southern watercan, tho I think that the can Jo painted is more of the standard model than a Cheshire can. The latter has no lip on top of the bottom band which sits at right angles to the floor or cabin top. The standard cans are still tapered at this point. Only one bloke still makes Cheshire cans periodically and I think he has a full order book

Cheers

Dave Moore

 

In this pic, the can top right is a 'real' Cheshire can, made by Len Turner at Preston Brook, he was the local postman and part-time tinsmith who made cans, chimneys etc for the working boats. Top left is one made by Ron Turner (no relation) who took up making them some time after Len retired.

The one bottom right is a 'current' Cheshire can, design based on what Ron was doing. Bottom left is a mass-produced 'southern' can. They more often than not, at least in more recent times, had handles made from convex galvanised steel 'bucket handle' section as well as the difference Dave has mentioned. Cheshire cans would more likely have a plain wooden handle.

The can bottom left could be said to be a real Buckby can, in that it was painted by my wife when she ran the Anchor Cottage craft shop in Long Buckby, over 20 years ago. Bottom right is a more recent effort of hers.

 

 

cans-3.jpg

 

Tim

Edited by Timleech
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dave moore Influencer

dave moore

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Hi Water rat

Plan carefully by all means, but practise hard first on flat board to develop your technique. As a full time boat decorator who occasionally teaches, I always tell students that the first 500 roses are the worst - a joke with a kernel of truth! It's about suitable paint and brushes and I'd reccommend both Tony Lewery's and Phil Speight's instructional videos. The well known book is less helpful if you want to paint in dockyard rather than souvenir style. Tony's work is the left hand green can in the upper picture. I have a few places on my w/end course in November if you're interested. Cheers

Dave Moore

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dave moore Influencer

dave moore

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Hi Tim

I've just put my glasses on and you are indeed right to correct me. I surmise that it's one of his early ones from way back. Denis Cooper has another early example at CTS and it's interesting to see how the styles have developed.

Thanks for pointing it out

Dave

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Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

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Hi Tim

I've just put my glasses on and you are indeed right to correct me. I surmise that it's one of his early ones from way back. Denis Cooper has another early example at CTS and it's interesting to see how the styles have developed.

Thanks for pointing it out

Dave

 

The black one is circa 1969, the red one is definitely 1975.

 

Tim

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