Marine Art News
courtesy of the artist
Robert J. Simone’s plein air painting of the 1877 barque Elissa in Galveston, Texas, has won Best in Show at Plein Air Southwest 2019. “As an artist, I am attracted to historic ships and commercial fishing vessels. I didn’t know much about Elissa before I got there, but it’s hard to resist the opportunity to paint a ship like that from life.” Simone arrived in Galveston with rain forecast for the upcoming event. “I thought a gray ship on a gray day might make for an interesting painting, but it also meant I needed a place to set up out of the rain. I found a good view from a sheltered seawall at Fisherman’s Wharf by cutting through the back deck of a closed restaurant. I was a little nervous about trespassing, but when the restaurant opened, a waitress started bringing me coffee. So all was good. The clouds came and the rain settled in. The atmosphere was perfect and hospitality of the restaurant staff made for a pleasant time. I ended up with a painting I liked, and what a blessing to receive Best in Show! But Elissa was the real star of that show. The fact that she is not a replica but the real deal made the experience all the more special. She’s a fabulous ship!” Robert J. Simone is a Signature Member of both the American Society of Marine Artists and the Outdoor Painters Society. (www.robertjsimone. com; Barque Elissa: www.galveston.com/texasseaportmuseum/)
courtesy of the artist
Tall Ship Elissa by Robert J. Simone, oil, 16 x 16 inches Artist Richard Boyer’s oil painting Departure from Manhattan has been awarded Best in Show at the Coos Art Museum’s 26th Annual Maritime Art Exhibition. During a visit to New York, Boyer was walking along the East River when the subject presented itself: “The noon-day light was out and blinding me as I went along. Then I saw the barge and tug and loved the way the light danced across the water. I knew it was a painting.” Not strictly a marine artist, Boyer paints cityscapes, landscapes, and figures as well. You can view Mr. Boyer’s winning entry along with the other works in the Coos Art Museum exhibition through 28 September. (CAM, 235 Anderson, Coos Bay, OR; Ph. 541 267-3901; www.coosart. org. Richard Boyer’s website: www.richardboyerart.net)
Departure from Manhattan by Richard Boyer, oil, 24 x 36 inches
© tate, london 2018
This fall, Mystic Seaport Museum is hosting a special art exhibition from Tate Britain’s Turner Collection. J. M. W. Turner: Watercolors from Tate brings together 92 watercolors, four oil paintings, and one of the artist’s last sketchbooks. Turner sought to secure his place in history by bequeathing the contents of his studio to the British nation. His vision of having his oil paintings hang in rotation in a dedicated gallery inside the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square would not come to pass, however. In 1856, four years after the artist’s death, the Chancery Court overruled his wishes and ordered that the entire contents of his studio be saved, including more than 30,000 watercolors and sketches stashed haphazardly in cupboards, crammed in drawers, and rolled between canvases. “Here we see not the public Turner, whose large oil paintings hung prominently in the Royal Academy, but the private artist who continually tested compositions, color, and tactile effect,” said David Blayney Brown, Tate’s curator of the exhibition. Mystic Seaport Museum is the only North American venue to host the exhibition, which will be on display from 5 October through 23 February. (75 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic, CT; Ph. 860 572-5388; www.mysticseaport.org) Whitby, c. 1824, by J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) 40
SEA HISTORY 168, AUTUMN 2019