* artist's note
This series of pen and ink sketches were started in the late 1980's after numerous visits to dockyards, museum ships, marine art galleries,
tallship races, regattas, many museums, crewing on square riggers, sailing on old replicas, dockyard models and even graceful ships in bottles.
The sketches act as my visual shorthand notes, hints and general remarks about the standard rig and look of a vessel of the period and are used in preparation for my oil paintings.
I have been very lucky in meeting with, drinking with and learning from those who knowledge is far wider and deeper than my own,
from authors, historians, ship builders, riggers, sailors, model makers, museum directors, curators, many Captains, Admirals and the odd First Lord's of the Sea.
Thanks to them for their time, humour and exhaustive patience...to one and all i owe a huge debt of gratitude.
my go-to standard references are always
original source mterials, Admiralty Models, contemporary prints and paintings and my knackered copies of
'The Shipbuilder's Repository' of 1788, Steel, Lees, Lever, Fincham, Falconer, Biddlecombe, Anderson and Underhill
