Canal art

[Proper Job]

We went there a couple of years ago Skiing...its lake Bled in Slovenia. the island and church/castle are used for fancy weddings etc. A motor launch pulls up and they parade on up the steps - on foot.

Motor launches are banned from the lake. I don't even recall seeing any electric launches. You can get rowed out to the island.

 

We went to a wedding there. The blessing was held in the chuch. It's traditional for the groom to carry the bride up the steps!

 

For me... the best part was a cafe halfway up

[Evo]

Thats right, i remember now, they rowed the bride over.

 

Our boat is allready adorned with some superb roses and castles, HMS victory, 'Englands Glory', Portrait of 2 dogs, and oak and ash trees, all courtesy of Phil Speight - and they are brilliant. However, I'd like to reply to the question "Did you do any of these..?" with "YES, I did some - the not so good ones..haha" but at least not "Nargh, we had all the artwork done".

Edited June 24, 2011 by Evo

[Québec]

Computer generated roses & castles? Blasphemy!

 

Guilty of blasphemy!

(We kept the original roses...they're excellent...but the original castles?.....computer to the rescue. Converted photo of castle into 'painted' version, then did the same with our boat and added to the picture. Stuck it on and varnished it. When it fades too much or when we want to change....repeat procedure with something different.)

 

[jaywalker]

Actually I think I'm doing myself an injustice here..!!! Its not so bad at a quick glance, I just finished it off tonight. TAKE A FEW STEPS BACK FROM YOUR COMPUTER.

 

 

You are doing yourself an injustice, hurry up and post your attempt at a castle. I have been toying with the idea of trying this, if I can get as good as that I will never shut my back doors again.

[bluegreencanal]

If you have a natural Artistic flair, then it may be possible to produce acceptable roses and castles after a brief amount of tuition, but frankly I would not put most of the Amateur efforts that I have seen on a can let alone a boat.

 

I consider myself to be moderately artistic, and after hours of watchuing Ron Hough and even more hiour opractuicing, I have reached the stage where I can produce reasonable roses, for use on internal panels, but my castles are still like something out of a Disney film.:-

 

 

These are beautiful.

[David Schweizer]

These are beautiful.

Thank you, I assume that you are referring to the roses, not the fairyland Castle which I inadvertantly removed, but have managed to restore it.

 

I am quite pleased with the Roses myself, but they are very much the product of studying Ron Hough and his work over many years.

Edited June 30, 2011 by David Schweizer

[BlueStringPudding]

Sorry, appareently my linky was broken. This ought to have fixed it. (Thanks to Tony for letting me know! )

 

 

GALLERY

 

Sorry, appareently my linky was broken. This ought to have fixed it. (Thanks to Tony for letting me know! )

 

 

GALLERY

 

Hmm... so good I named it twice, it seems!

[David Schweizer]

 

Now, why can't I paint castles like that?

 

I used to paint quite respectable oil landscapes, but somehow the ability to paint decent boat castles has eluded me.

Edited July 3, 2011 by David Schweizer

[Ray T]

[Edit mis-read who did the painting.

Edited July 3, 2011 by Ray T

[bluegreencanal]

Thank you, I assume that you are referring to the roses, not the fairyland Castle which I inadvertantly removed, but have managed to restore it.

 

I am quite pleased with the Roses myself, but they are very much the product of studying Ron Hough and his work over many years.

Yes I meant the roses.

[David Schweizer]

Yes I meant the roses.

Yes I thought so, the castle is pretty crap really. I am currently working on finishing another one which I started ages ago, still Walt Disnety Fairyland style, but hopefully, a little better excectued.

 

My next challenge is to try and emulate a Braunston style castle, Jan is getting a bit worried and keeps asking "what are you going to do with all these castles?" She is concerned that I will want to display them around the house, but I am really doing it to prove that I can produce something half decent. They will probably end up in the loft unseen.

Edited July 7, 2011 by David Schweizer

[Tiny]

If anyone needs some firewood or scrap metal theres ever more of it on the art trail sponsered by BW at Ellesmere. Some of the objects need fencing of as they endanger Health and Safety. Others are just plain weird or even 'orrible and most seem unrelated to the canal. One feels the best place for most might be on one of the cycling towpaths to slow down the cyclists but no doubt they would sue.

[paddy r]

My wife has started haveing a go,[/img]and the other side

[/img]

 

mine just look like the kid's have been playing!

[Phil Speight]

Does anyone know where l can get my stern doors painted in castle and roses. I live near Manchester.

Steve

I`m working in Ellesmere Port towards the end of the month. If that is of any interest ring me on 01838 400269 soon.

Manchester`s an easy one!

Phil

 

Thats right, i remember now, they rowed the bride over.

 

Our boat is allready adorned with some superb roses and castles, HMS victory, 'Englands Glory', Portrait of 2 dogs, and oak and ash trees, all courtesy of Phil Speight - and they are brilliant. However, I'd like to reply to the question "Did you do any of these..?" with "YES, I did some - the not so good ones..haha" but at least not "Nargh, we had all the artwork done".

I remember that one! Didn`t I signwrite the boat as well? Staying at Brinklow for a few nights seems to affect my memory.....glad you like the cabin.

Cheers

Phil

[BlueStringPudding]

 

Now, why can't I paint castles like that?

 

I used to paint quite respectable oil landscapes, but somehow the ability to paint decent boat castles has eluded me.

 

Thanks. I love painting in that style coz that's the style Terence taught me (I especially like the Frank Spencer castles with their little berets). But I've also found that most comissions I get people are asking for landscapes that are a little quirkier (when I was costume designing full time I'd get the quirky commissions too - I think it's just me! ) :

 

These are pairs of landscapes on door panels you read from left to right:

 

 

and

 

 

Apologies for the poor photo quality

[BlueStringPudding]

And the Polgara water can was almost entirely landscape. The only nod towards anything traditional are the misty mountains in the distance - otherwise it's a fairly contemporary fantasy landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm about to pick up a couple of paintings that I started at the end of last summer but didn't have time to finish. They're a castle scene on each side of the boat: one of Beeston Castle (ruins) and one of Warwick Castle. They're both castles I've moored near. I haven't decided how "realistically" I'll paint them yet and they are just underpaintings at the moment. I might retain the slight cartoon quality that traditional castles seem to have, or I might aim to go for something more realistic. I'll see how the mood takes me as I paint them!

Edited July 15, 2011 by BlueStringPudding

[David Schweizer]

Thanks. I love painting in that style coz that's the style Terence taught me (I especially like the Frank Spencer castles with their little berets). But I've also found that most comissions I get people are asking for landscapes that are a little quirkier (when I was costume designing full time I'd get the quirky commissions too - I think it's just me! ) :

 

These are pairs of landscapes on door panels you read from left to right:

 

 

and

 

 

Apologies for the poor photo quality

I really like those. Very atmospheric.

Edited July 15, 2011 by David Schweizer

[Evo]

 

I remember that one! Didn`t I signwrite the boat as well? Staying at Brinklow for a few nights seems to affect my memory.....glad you like the cabin.

Cheers

Phil

 

Phil, everyone we meet loves the cabin....and the comments we get about the trees is unbelievable. You must remember Vic....Yes you did Sign write the boat aswell. In fact comming back up the Oxford this last trip a professional musician/photographer (Phil underwood - Vital Spark) asked if he could take piccies of it all. I have them on a CD he gave me afterwards. We were moored behind Vital Spark at Thrupp and was quite surprised when a sing song fired up on the bank in front. CD still on the boat...will post them later.

 

Me and the missus spent the first week of our holiday painting all sorts...we are not that great but its bloody enjoyable. Who said a castle, I just did a big un in the middle of our cratch table. Its a bit of a rip off of Phil's work, but if you're going to copy someone it might aswell be the best...IMO (extracts nose from arse)...haha

 

Phil, The sign writing is still great, but the background 'manchester red' has now faded badly after 10 years. I've basically Tcut the lot and now got a polished browny background which I think looks OK. I'll post a pic and you can let me know what you think or wether I can recover the original red without losing the sign writing.

 

 

Edit...The missus did bring the cd back

 

Edited July 16, 2011 by Evo

[Evo]

I'm happy with these for first attempts...takes a while to get used to paints and surfaces. Still got a bit to do on the table before finally varnishing it. Neither of us can draw for toffee, we never watched telly all week...sometimes parked up by 3pm and worked almost non stop all night without realising what the time was....now wheres my fender making book..!!! We really enjoyed doing these and the table and one of the port hole bungs is a joint effort...which was especially satisfying.

 

Table

 

Port hole bungs

[dave moore]

Hi Evo

Just had a look at the pictures....if you've spent time with Phil then I can detect a lot of Ann Young's influence in the painting, and I can eassily imagine what Phil's response to that would be!

"Paint Roses and Castles" doesn't have its roots in the work of the dockyard tradtions that both of us are anxious to preserve. Phil and I helped establish the Waterways Craft Guild to further these aims and we are happy to advise others who want to paint in traditional style. I'm not saying that you should do this, but if that's the case and you're seeking inspiration, then Tony Lewer's excellent "Flowers Afloat" is packed with inspirational photographs. Or there's Phil's own video - or Tony's - or I'd be happy to help.

 

Probably the survival of dockyard painting is a lost cause ( tho' I hope not). There's a world of difference between Frank Nurser's painting (not Frank Skinner, as mentioned earlier in this thread. Joe Skinner was the noted last No. 1 or owner boatman to trade on the Oxford) and the flowers and landscapes featured in "Paint Roses and Castles" are far cry frrom his work. I understand the castle to have been executed with felt tip pen. Oh dear!

 

Things seem not to be getting better. Currently there is "traditional" ware for sale that's been produced and painted in China. One of these, a "Watercan" ( no, not a "Buckby") sits in my workshop, it was a 40th wedding anniversary presesnt so I can't totally repaint it, merely alter the centre band to add the boat's name and a bit of scrollwork. It's hard to be polite about either the can (lightweight, flimsy,not well put together) or the painting. Whoever had done it had no knowledge of how a can should look, nor of the style of painting they were trying to emulate. I'll try and add a picture later.

 

I hope I haven't ridden my personal hobbyhorse hard enough to upset anyone, but both Phil and I along with others, are somewhat right of Ghengis Khan on things traditional. We do care - honestly!!

Cheers

Dave

[Evo]

I appreciate your passion Dave. You are certainly not treading on my toes with your views. We enjoy spending time looking at traditional artwork on original panels in museums and on old boats and particularly appreciate Phils work all over our boat and certainly recognise it on lots of others.

However, alot of what we have from Phil is not 'traditional' - as you can see above. I haven't spent time with Phil at all, I remember him doing his stuff flicking from one painting to another and being amazed as they took shape - as was Vic who commissioned the work. Vic was overjoyed and besides himself with the final results. We both relished craftmanship of any type done by tallented people, but in saying that I enjoy more having a go myself.

 

Whats wrong with Anne Young..??? I got her book and some brushes as a christmas present. I think it is spot on for people like me and the missus, the pleasure we got from it justifies her efforts completey. I'm no artist, in fact I'm completely useless, as is Marie-Anne, when we'd finished those porthole bungs we sat back and looked at them from a distance gobsmacked that they looked - in our eyes - so good. There is something not right about the table but I cant figure out what at the moment. The beauty of it all though is a couple of swipes with a roller and some black paint and in 5 seconds we are back to blank canvas and another week of no telly and avid concentration and pleasure.

 

BLACKPINKPUDDING is an artist, I wish I could do stuff like that, excellent work.

 

Also Dave, remember we have a 1980's Brummagen boat with a BMC motor, a gas cooker, a fridge, a telly, and a settee. How traditional do you want me to get...?

[David Schweizer]

Hi Evo

Just had a look at the pictures....if you've spent time with Phil then I can detect a lot of Ann Young's influence in the painting, and I can eassily imagine what Phil's response to that would be!

"Paint Roses and Castles" doesn't have its roots in the work of the dockyard tradtions that both of us are anxious to preserve. Phil and I helped establish the Waterways Craft Guild to further these aims and we are happy to advise others who want to paint in traditional style. I'm not saying that you should do this, but if that's the case and you're seeking inspiration, then Tony Lewer's excellent "Flowers Afloat" is packed with inspirational photographs. Or there's Phil's own video - or Tony's - or I'd be happy to help.

Probably the survival of dockyard painting is a lost cause ( tho' I hope not). There's a world of difference between Frank Nurser's painting (not Frank Skinner, as mentioned earlier in this thread. Joe Skinner was the noted last No. 1 or owner boatman to trade on the Oxford) and the flowers and landscapes featured in "Paint Roses and Castles" are far cry frrom his work. I understand the castle to have been executed with felt tip pen. Oh dear!

 

Things seem not to be getting better. Currently there is "traditional" ware for sale that's been produced and painted in China. One of these, a "Watercan" ( no, not a "Buckby") sits in my workshop, it was a 40th wedding anniversary presesnt so I can't totally repaint it, merely alter the centre band to add the boat's name and a bit of scrollwork. It's hard to be polite about either the can (lightweight, flimsy,not well put together) or the painting. Whoever had done it had no knowledge of how a can should look, nor of the style of painting they were trying to emulate. I'll try and add a picture later.

 

I hope I haven't ridden my personal hobbyhorse hard enough to upset anyone, but both Phil and I along with others, are somewhat right of Ghengis Khan on things traditional. We do care - honestly!!

Cheers

Dave

You are probably correct Dave, particularly as the only surviving dockyard trained painter still painting (despite rumours to the the contrary) that I know of is Ron Hough, although not in dockyards any more. He will still decorate anything you can take to his home, and has recently completed two door panels for us which will be built in our boat, and I am hoping that he will be able to re-decorate our deckboard as soon as I have got round to removing it.

 

When Ron Finally gives up painting, which I hope will not be for a long time yet, it will be down to people like yourself, Phil, and Tony to keep it going but, with respect, none of you are getting any younger, who will be the next generation?.

Edited July 17, 2011 by David Schweizer

[BlueStringPudding]

 

 

BLACKPINKPUDDING is an artist, I wish I could do stuff like that, excellent work.

 

Also Dave, remember we have a 1980's Brummagen boat with a BMC motor, a gas cooker, a fridge, a telly, and a settee. How traditional do you want me to get...?

 

 

 

I think Evo's porthole bungs are fantastic. Particularly the little peashoot style leaves on the centre one

Edited July 17, 2011 by BlueStringPudding

[Evo]

Sorry about name name mix up.. I was typing away and couldn't remember it exactly, I was nearly right..!!

Thanks for comment, but I have to confess, we have a stunning roses pic above our cabin dropdown table done by Phil....the little peashoot leaves idea came from that, the photo of that one wasn't on the CD for some reason and its my favourite one on the whole boat aswell. Doh

 

 

 

Edit:

 

Someone asked me what paints I used and how expensive were they. I dont know wether I got the right ones or not, maybe phil, Dave or whoever can put us right. I went down to Hobbycraft in Coventry (I assume they are country wide) and bought 10 50ml tins of Humbrol enamel for £20. I got Crimson, Bright Red, Sky Blue, Dark blue, Orange, Yellow, Brunswick green, Light green, black, white. They mix very well, I made browns with red/green etc.

Edited July 17, 2011 by Evo

[Evo]

I'm bored now and want to go back and do some more of this..!!!