A painting a day by Christopher Webb

Halifax Shipping Lane : November 20th, 2009

2010-01-19T15:10:00.003-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : November 20th, 2009'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~

This was by far one of the most interesting days that I have seen since I began this project. The harbour never stops. In the background the Stadt Berlin (Cma-Cgm Canada Inc.) is being escorted out of port by the Pilot Boat (just to the right of the ship). It seems oblivious to the fact that just a kilometer or so closer there is a search and rescue exercise underway. And oblivious to the search and rescue exercise is the local fishing boat that just continues on.

And why wouldn't he. This is nothing new for the captain of the small boat. This is business as usual.

Halifax Shipping Lane: October 10th, 2009

2010-01-19T15:04:00.003-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : October 10th, 2009'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~

This is the Rowan Gorilla heads out to sea. Three huge ships are doing the heavy towing, but this such a distance it is hard to make them out anymore. I am sure I will be painting this image again. I have tons of reference material of the day.

The sky was not the colour that you see. It was a very gray day. I felt that the painting could use a bit of zest - the Gorilla is such a huge object that I figured it needed something a bit more poetic to go along with it.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-21T18:55:00.002-04:00

Hi there,

I am currently on a bit of a Christmas break. I will be back in the studio in the New Year creating lots of new paintings. Thank you to everyone who dropped into the open (boat) house last Sunday.

Also a special thanks to the many of you who have recently subscribed to this Halifax Shipping Lanes website. Who knows where the paintings will go in the future but I am glad that you have decided to come along for the ride.

All the best in 2010!

Christopher

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

2009-12-10T11:20:00.004-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 - 11:19'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180

This is second time I have painted this exact ship...only this time it is smaller.

The London Express (Hapag-Lloyd) is majestic as is glides into port. The sun is so bright at this point in the day and it beautifully back-lights the ship causing the great vessel to seem almost like a silhouette. in fact, when you see the painting up close oyu can see the Hapag-Lloyd lettering on the side of the ship.

I tend not to paint these images because they always seem too dark. A few folks have droped by the studio/boathouse and asked if this one was done. To my mind, this is how I will always remember the boats in the shipping lanes: Bright, difussed sunlight, calm seas, and a gigantic ship slowly cutting through the water that is dwarfed only by the open sky.

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

2009-12-10T11:04:00.002-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Sunday, October 18th, 2009 -14:01'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180

The view is typical: the ship has just made the turn and is heading across the Atlantic.

That is how I used to view these ships, but now, things have changed.

This ship is the back end of the Atlantic Compass (ACL-Atlantic Container Line) and it only arrived into port earlier this same day. It came from the eastern seaboard port of New york and is now en route to Antwerp.
The seas are rough today. It will be a long voyage overseas. the Pilot Boat sits just to the bottom right hand side of the ship. You can barely make it out from the boathouse view and justly, can barely make it out in the painting.

People ask me why I paint with grey. Truth is, it looks like this a lot. The other truth is that grey is one of my favourite basic colours. There are so many beutiful colours of grey.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

2009-11-27T13:20:00.004-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Wednesday, September 9, 2009 - 18:08'
oil on canvas
11" x 14"
$ 180 ~

The Atlantic Companion (Atlantic Container Line) lumbers into port. Another ship, the Stena Contest (Smk Tanker Agency Inc) is making its approach.

I have watched the ACL ships for what seems like decades. I have always wanted to paint one, and finally, I have. The Companion is a wonderful metaphor for how I am able to do these paintings a day. If it was not for mine I would not be even attempting this project.

The ship is in a slight fog. The day is breaking and clear skies are on the way. The weather is inconsequential, however. Rain or shine. Fog or clear. The ships will come in and the ships will go.

Wednesday, August 16, 2009 (larger Image)

2009-11-27T13:07:00.005-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Wednesday, August 16, 2009 - 22:08'
oil on canvas
30" x 30"
$ 1850 ~

The Pilot Boat makes its way back to 1-Alpha. The water is choppy. There is a warm breeze in the cove but the ocean is still a bit rough. Ships are on the horizon. One look at the Post of Halifax's Daily Status Report lets you know that this is a harbour that never sleeps. Day to night to day the habour works.

The Pilot Boat comes into Herring Cove every day, sometimes 4 and 5 times. They pick up and drop off the pilots on their way to and from work. Sometimes the boat drops in and someone picks up pizza from the store at the top of the road.

In the foreground: The breakwater has saved the cove on many occasion.

Behind the Pilot Boat is the other side of Herring cove. Once the boat passes the breakwater the waters will be still and calm. Safe passage. Perfect to watch the stars, but if only for a moment and it is off to work.

The harbour never stops.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

2009-11-24T18:03:00.007-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Wednesday, September 9, 2009 - 18:08'
oil on canvas
11" x 14"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

The Oocl Thailand (F.K. Warren Ltd.) is depicted leaving port. One assumes that the huge vessels lumber into port and stay for a few days. The reality is quite different.

This ship arrived from New York just about 12 hours previous. Once it docks at Fairview Cove and gets clearance it is a mad scramble to get the ship loaded up and ready to head back to Europe. Southampton, UK is the next port of call. By the time it passes by 1-Aflpha the work in Halifax is complete for now. However, in only one and a half weeks another Oocl ship will make the exact same journey.

Well, perhaps the same journey. This time of year the schedules start to get a bit funny with the storm season.

March 2009 (Larger Image)

2009-11-23T21:21:00.003-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : March 2009'
oil on canvas
24" x 24"
$ 925

This is a the second time that I have painted this image. The first time was for a show a the Secord Gallery in Halifax in April of 2009. It was the original shipping lane image and I felt that I wanted to revisit it.

The image depicts the Zim Mediterranean (Zim Container Services) and stays truer to the actual day: the boat, in some sort of quarantine sits in the distant background to the left of the ship, while the on-coming container vessel makes its way towards the channel. At the time I wasn't tracking the dates and time of the ships as they passed so I have no idea the day that I passed by the boathouse.

I don't usually write about the art making process, but I feel it is worth nothing that I thought I had completed this painting abot 2 months ago. However, once I finished the entry from last week (the larger Hapag-Lloyd image with the circles in the background) I revisited this painting and concluded that it needed re-working. I re-did the ocean and added the ships in the background. I also played a bit with the main character's details and the contrast of the ocean compared to the ship's hull.

Sunday, October 11th, 2009

2009-11-18T15:50:00.009-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Sunday, October 11th, 2009 - 15:40'
oil on canvas
11" x 14"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

The Atlantic Superior (Atship Services Ltd.) is a supply ship that is a regular caller at the port. I was trying to find out a bit more information on the ship and stumbled upon this link: http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?mmsi=308413000 It does a great job of describing the ship in detail but leaves out that it is a gypsum ship (which accounts for all of the drywall dust in my lungs after working on the boat house this weekend.) She is also a regular caller to the Port. From a distance I think she is one of the simplest, most serene ships that call on our port. No flash. No fanfare. Beautiful.

Sunday, September 5, 2009,

2009-11-18T15:08:00.004-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Sunday, September 5, 2009 - 18:34'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

The Oocl Singapore (F.K. Warren Ltd.) heads out of the port. Wednesdays and Sundays are the days for the 'double O - CLs'. It is coming all the way from Fairview Cove, which means that it left its birth exactly 3 hours prior to 18:34. If the Port Authority were to look at its logs I am sure that '1-Alpha' would record basically the same time. '1-Alpha is the name given to the Pilot station that docks right next to Victoria's boat house.

This vessel is destined for New York. You can set your watch to it - it will return here not this Wednesday but the next before it makes its way across the ocean. Wednesdays and Sundays.

Friday, October 16th, 2009 (larger image)

2009-11-13T10:02:00.005-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Friday, October 16th, 2009 - 16:08'
oil on canvas
24" x 24"
$ 925 ~

The Paris Express (Hapag Lloyd) rhythmically and methodically breaks the waves on its way into the Port of Halifax. It will eventually dock at Fairview Cove container terminal to unload part of its cargo and then set a course for New York.

The Paris Express. How one longs to get back to Europe again. The name of the ship alone takes you to the continent. You would imagine that its containers are filled with magical gifts from France's Languedoc-Roussillon region. That Victoria's sister Emma has packed a special container filled with thick red wines and tapestries and pastries and edible glitter.

I love that a ship on a cold October afternoon can transport you to another place and time.

On an artistic note, I must acknowledge the circles and attribute the idea to my friend Adrian Edwards - an outstanding British artist and art educator who, for the time being, lives just up the road. I am hopeful that Adrian, my friend Marco Ferri (Italy) and I will work collectively on some work over the coming years that will be destined for Europe. Although Adrian has moved on from his spherical period, I asked to borrow a few of them and let them influence a few of my paintings. A number of them have been met with disastrous results but this one seemed to eventually resolve itself - if only on an esthetic level.

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

2009-11-12T18:18:00.006-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Saturday, September 19th, 2009 - 17:06'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

This ship is making its way out of the port of Halifax.

~ more information to come ~

Monday, September 14th, 2009

2009-11-12T18:04:00.006-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Monday, September 14th, 2009 - 7:07'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

The Norwegian Dawn (F.K. Warren Ltd) slowly makes it's way into port. Judging by the darkness of the ship, most of its passengers have not yet awoken.

I never thought I would describe one of these ships as beautiful, but here it it. The sun not yet having risen gives the sky an orange glow. I find myself more and more enjoying the cruise ships. As a pure aesthetic they are very pleasing - if you look past the commerce at play.

On another note, it is not often that I paint sunrises or sunsets. in fact, I often tell my students not to paint them. in this case I think it is important to document the day as I saw it - just as it is imperative to represent the ship to the best of my abilities. Perhaps there was a passenger aboard the ship that saw the lights on at our place and was wondering what we were thinking at that exact moment.

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

2009-11-12T17:47:00.007-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 - 19:06'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

The Caribbean Princess (Furncan Marine Ltd.) leaves Halifax.
The reality is that the more I see them coming into port and then leaving that same day, the more I really enjoy them. They are beautiful floating hotels that come into our port first thing in the morning. Victoria and I are usually awake with Maddalena before 7am so we get to enjoy the sunrise and the first port calls of the morning.

Likewise, the stark white cruise ships (like this one) just stand out even more with the setting sun.

Friday, September 4th, 2009

2009-11-12T17:09:00.006-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Friday, September 4th, 2009 - 17:11'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

The Cosmos is leaving the port and is heading to the United States to deliver new vihicles to the US market.

~ more information to come ~

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

2009-11-12T16:51:00.007-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 - 9:13'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

The ship is leaving the port and is heading to the United States.

I can't imagine being one of the crew. You can see the storm on the horizon. From almost every direction - especially the one that you are sailing into - there are dark clouds that are ready to erupt. The sea may be calm as you leave the harbour, but once you clear Sambro you just know that the open ocean is going to steadily give way to the heavy wind and rains.

Even in all of this, I feel there is nothing but optimism in the work. In the darkness the light only shines more brightly.

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

2009-11-12T16:39:00.005-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : Sunday, August 30th, 2009 - 11:20'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

Looking at this painting you would think that I made up the ocean. Calm, serene, and still. The sun managed to break through the clouds and light up a strip of the harbour. I am amazed at how still the ocean can be. This ship seemed to almost slip into the harbour unnoticed. The view from the studio windows seems to change almost by the minute on days like this.

Friday, August 28th, 2009

2009-11-02T12:21:00.002-04:00

'Halifax Shipping Lane : August 28th, 2009 - 7:09'
oil on canvas
12" x 12"
$ 180 ~ SOLD

This is the first image that was produced as part of my painting a day. The image depicts the Algoscotia (Algoma Tankers Ltd.) on its way out of port and on the right the Oceanex Sanderling (Oceanex Inc.) After I sent this image to the port authority, I received an email back (read below) which led me to believe that I am on the right track - meaning that from the date and the image, the Port Authority was able to tell me a lot of info based solely on the painting:

- - -

Christopher,

The tanker is one of Algoma Tankers that is a regular caller here in Halifax (she goes to oil docks re: fuel delivery). And the other vessel in ward bound is the MV Sanderling which calls every Friday from Newfoundland and she docks at Halterm Centre terminal discharge trailers and centre’s, then proceeds to Auto Port in eastern passage to load up cars for Newfoundland. The cars this vessel picks up are for all dealers in NFLD which come off vessels from Europe and US for delivery in Canada' s eastern region. Also, other cars not destined for NFLD are loaded on rail cars at auto port to CN rail and delivered to other regions of Canada and US.