Under the Boardwalk

This is the third time I have painted "Under the Boardwalk". The first version (A2 Framed) hung at a Canberra eatery "A Bite to Eat" and was purchased by an astute lady as a present for her husband.

A few weeks ago I was redrawn to the subject and produced a smaller A2 version and published it on my Facebook page. Amazingly, so far it has received 506 "likes" and a healthy serving of complimentary remarks! The other day I added it to my popup gallery in Manuka.

Spurred on by this attention I have now gone full throttle and have just finished a huge version - 30x40" in the old currency! This will be a keeper or sold at its real value rather than the giveaway prices of other works.

Wharfs (or is it wharves?) have long fascinated me. They can be particularly tricky for seagoing types in regions of Australia with huge tidal variations. Stories of boats hanging off the wharf as tides receded are well-known amongst matelots.

As First Lieutenant on a Patrol Boat, based at what was then HMAS TARANGAU on Manus Island, the wharf was a great place for fishing with the occasional baby saltwater croc coming in on the hook.

I have also painted the Merimbula Wharf twice and have my eye on Tathra Wharf as a future project. Gazing down into the clear deep water has a mesmerising effect on the viewer. I feel this interaction with the water is what appeals in my Boardwalk scenes.