Bad news, good news on the painting front.

[dave moore]

Forum folk who frequent this section will probably be aware of my interest in and passion for preserving decent standards in traditional painting and signwriting. Friend and colleague Phil Speight, fellow dinosaur in this respect, is another. The attached pictures show what happens when market forces take over. Made and painted in China, I believe, some distance from our canal system, they are offered for sale at very budget prices around our network. The painting is clumsy with little resemblance to old dockyard styles, dashed on with indecent haste.  Hopefully no one will use it to base their own painting on, though I fear I could be wrong.

 

On a more optimistic note, fellow painter Jane Marshall, probably better known as one half of Day Star Theatre, has recently produced a book entitled " Roses and Castles " , a practical guide to traditional painting with sections on historic background, past and present painters too. It's lavishly illustrated with photos of historic and contemporary examples and should inspire new painters to progress in the right direction. Available from the Hustoric Boat Club shop and Audlem Mill. The book was the brainchild of Peter, the proprietor, its involved Jane in much research and writing for the last 18 months at least. A welcome addition to the limited books available. 

Dave 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ray T]

Will this book be available at Braunston this weekend?

[Derek R.]

Lo, and behold:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zkgxpv4

If that Chinese copy had been done in Japan, it may have been the can of the rising Sun ?

Edited June 23, 2017 by Derek R.

[dave moore]

Hi all

I had rather hoped that the photos had generated a tad more interest, though I suspect that many forum members have little interest in traditional ways. A few days ago I stripped the can back to bare metal, primed then base coated and applied decoration for the owner. This is it prior to varnishing. I always put decoration on to undercoat and then varnish, this gives a better key than varnishing gloss paint.

 

Dave

 

 

[cuthound]

Beautiful.

Wish I had the talent to do that.

[dogless]

Beautiful work.

Been into the Stoke Breurne museum this very day, admiring the paint work.

Until you see the work from different yards displayed together, you don't entirely grasp how very different the individual designs are, whilst remaining loosely similar.

Rog

[Ray T]

Work by George Crowshaw and Reg Barnett from Stoke Bruerene Museum.

P.S Dave, got a copy of Jane Marshall's book at Braunston.

[X Alan W]

On 23/06/2017 at 17:36, dave moore said:

Forum folk who frequent this section will probably be aware of my interest in and passion for preserving decent standards in traditional painting and signwriting. Friend and colleague Phil Speight, fellow dinosaur in this respect, is another. The attached pictures show what happens when market forces take over. Made and painted in China, I believe, some distance from our canal system, they are offered for sale at very budget prices around our network. The painting is clumsy with little resemblance to old dockyard styles, dashed on with indecent haste.  Hopefully no one will use it to base their own painting on, though I fear I could be wrong.

 

On a more optimistic note, fellow painter Jane Marshall, probably better known as one half of Day Star Theatre, has recently produced a book entitled " Roses and Castles " , a practical guide to traditional painting with sections on historic background, past and present painters too. It's lavishly illustrated with photos of historic and contemporary examples and should inspire new painters to progress in the right direction. Available from the Hustoric Boat Club shop and Audlem Mill. The book was the brainchild of Peter, the proprietor, its involved Jane in much research and writing for the last 18 months at least. A welcome addition to the limited books available. 

Dave 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave, Could this style be loosely described as OBESE KNOBSTICK, nice repaint as always hope your hip progressing

[dave moore]

Thanks Alan.

Im more inclined to call them " Grotesque Grot " myself. Bill Hodgson would be mortified to have any association with them, I'm sure. What saddens is the number that I see on modern craft, owners unaware of the abomination that they are. What hope for the future? Friend and colleague Graham Edgson's words seem appropriate here....." Kid....they doe know! "

[matty40s]

Discuss...

Edited July 1, 2017 by matty40s

[Ray T]

Sorry can't see the picture.

[MtB]

Dave,

I was wondering around at Braunston show last weekend and wondered if the new lettering on narrow boat GORSE was your work...

I took a photo:

 

[Athy]

It's obviously misspelt - the "o" and "r" have been transposed.

Thanks for posting the photos, Dave, and I too hope that you're well on the road to recovery.

I wonder if Jane Selkirk, who painted our water can, is still active? I found a web site under her name a little while ago but it didn't involve painting (some sort of textile crafts, if I recall aright), and an e-mail to it elicited no response.

[mark99]

7 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Dave,

I was wondering around at Braunston show last weekend and wondered if the new lettering on narrow boat GORSE was your work...

I took a photo:

 

That was done by Dave just before his "op".

 

[dave moore]

No.....that was put on by me under sedation during it!!

[X Alan W]

13 hours ago, dave moore said:

Thanks Alan.

Im more inclined to call them " Grotesque Grot " myself. Bill Hodgson would be mortified to have any association with them, I'm sure. What saddens is the number that I see on modern craft, owners unaware of the abomination that they are. What hope for the future? Friend and colleague Graham Edgson's words seem appropriate here....." Kid....they doe know! "

As you say Bill would be 'Mortified' my comment was a bit tongue in cheek, the thing that saddens me is if any mention is made to "How thing were & how to be in keeping with the times it usually gets reply's to the effect  times are no longer requiring that type of  kit or practices, & a section of today's canal users would be pleased to see the demise of vintage/historic boats & the ways & methods used when they were the ways it was done. I fear the canal enthusiast has been overtaken by folk with a completely different agenda towards the use of a boat on the "cut"

[Cloudinspector]

On 30/06/2017 at 11:46, dave moore said:

Hi all

I had rather hoped that the photos had generated a tad more interest, though I suspect that many forum members have little interest in traditional ways. A few days ago I stripped the can back to bare metal, primed then base coated and applied decoration for the owner. This is it prior to varnishing. I always put decoration on to undercoat and then varnish, this gives a better key than varnishing gloss paint.

 

Dave

 

 

Wonderful.

As mentioned in a previous post it's only when you study other painters work that their particular styles become apparent. Only last week we were passing through Audlem when an elderly gentleman walking his greyhound stopped and commented that the artwork on Mervyn was the work of Dave Moore. 

[starman]

Yes, don't get too depressed Dave. We shared a couple of locks with a gang of canoeing Venture Scouts yesterday. One of the young teenagers (girl) said: 'I love the font of your signwriting'. She liked the traditional painting she'd seen too. I told her I'd pass her comments on to the painter!

So hopefully all is not lost!

[mark99]

Same here loads of nice comments about the signwriting. Same question time after time. "Did you do that".

 

[X Alan W]

Giving the old grey matter a bit of a jolt & remembering Jess Owen being asked to repaint a can with roses being some what similar to Dave's original post.He remarked to Joe (Gilbert) how do they want this a painted Castles, Daises, & Cauliflowers he was pretty near the mark.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

"Only last week we were passing through Audlem when an elderly gentleman walking his greyhound stopped and commented that the artwork on Mervyn was the work of Dave Moore. "

I rather suspect that this was Roger Wickson of Audlem. He is an accomplished painter himself and he follows the Polesworth style in his work. I am unsure if he is still painting though. 

in 1986 he commissioned "Bullfinch" which was moored offside in Audlem for many years. His boat "Little Bear" was later moored in the same spot. This boat had some splendid decorations on it painted by Roger. Some of his work also was on display at Audlem Mill. 

 

[mark99]

I was moored in Chester couple of days after we bought the boat. The bloke who sold it to me stated categorically it was painted and written by a Mr Speight.

A friendly chap walked past the boat and said to me "Dave Moore" re signwriting. I said no and he said "oh yes it was".

I had to email Dave and check if he did it.  He did of course.

Out of the herds there are some mighty edumancated/knowledgeable people strolling the cut.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2017 by mark99

[Hastings]

15 hours ago, Peter-Bullfinch said:

"Only last week we were passing through Audlem when an elderly gentleman walking his greyhound stopped and commented that the artwork on Mervyn was the work of Dave Moore. "

I rather suspect that this was Roger Wickson of Audlem. He is an accomplished painter himself and he follows the Polesworth style in his work. I am unsure if he is still painting though. 

in 1986 he commissioned "Bullfinch" which was moored offside in Audlem for many years. His boat "Little Bear" was later moored in the same spot. This boat had some splendid decorations on it painted by Roger. Some of his work also was on display at Audlem Mill. 

 

That would have been Roger Wickson, and he does still paint the occasional item.  We sometimes have his excellent Polesworth style work for sale at Audlem Mill.  And we published the book that Dave Moore kindly mentioned - Jane Marshall's "Roses & Castles", which is full of photos of historic cans etc.  Surprisingly, none was painted in China!

[LEO]

Good painting is not confined to narrowboats, I saw this superb decorative work at The Chiltern Steam Rally at the weekend, on a Showman's engine.........

[Derek R.]

On 01/07/2017 at 22:46, Ray T said:

Sorry can't see the picture.

 

On 01/07/2017 at 22:34, matty40s said:

Discuss...

This is PhotoBucket. Be it noted, that PhotoBucket have changed their terms and conditions, insisting that clients pay for hosting of their images and posting to a third party. Moreover, attempting to navigate your PhotoBucket account will be smothered in new pop up adverts covering entry fields, and I have had absolutely no luck in even logging on any more.

As a free image handling website, they are finished. Find another host, and I hope everyone has back up files of their images on their home PC.