"Comrade and Audrey on the Humber" oil
I recently sold a small oil painting 'Freight for Rotherham" and memories of a time in the 1990s came flooding back. At that time in my narrowboat 'Sprotbro' Painter' I had a wonderful time cruising around the canal system painting all sorts of waterway craft, these are just a few.
"Afternoon Sailing, Comrade and Audrey off Spurn Point" oil on board 24"x18"
I am a member of the Guild of Waterway Artists and we used to meet up every year and hold an exhibition of our work at Stoke Bruerne, the trip down in our narrow-boat took a considerable time and there were many interesting things I wanted to paint. This next painting, a small oil, was the result of a view I recorded on the River Trent as we passed a barge loading gravel.
"Loading gravel on the River Trent" small oil on board.
To get to the River Trent from Sprotbrough we had to go through Bramwith Lock which lies east of Doncaster. Thorpe Marsh power station which is shown in the background of the next painting is now partly demolished and I am not sure if all the cooling towers remain.
"Littlebeck at Bramwith Lock" oil on board.
An example of the results of heavy rain and floods, seen every so often on our local waterways, these two barges, moored above the
weir, had come adrift, and had a 'coming together' by the bridge at Aldwarke near Rotherham. (sometime in the 1990s)
"Floods at Aldwarke" oil on board.
I must say I do miss seeing the old barges carrying freight on our local waterway, the only freight on the river at present is Humber Princess on a twice weekly trip from Hull to Rotherham with fuel.
She is a very impressive 60 meters long by 6 meters wide and bright red, I think a winter painting of her passing Levitt Hagg could be 'on the cards' !!
"Sprotbro' Painter" 1989-2003
