Fishermen At Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia

This 8x10" acrylic completed at this time. Not yet represented on rodneymackay.com.

The fishing shed is situated on an offshore island located near the end of the Blue Rocks Road. This location is south east of Lunenburg town. When gear is kept in these locations it is more or less secure against theft or other loss.

The fishermen are taking their skiff to rendevous with a lobster fishing boat located not far away.

Rod Mackay's Painting of A Refit

The interesting news (May3) is that there will apparently be a Bluenose III. The Bluenose was designed by William J. Roue and launched from the Smith and Rhuland Shipyard in Lunenburg 86 years ago. The Bluenose II was also built in Lunenburg.

The plans for the original ship passed from the Bluenose II Foundation to Jean Roue, a grand daughter of the designer, after they fell out with the Province. She is behind a $15 million dollar effort to build re-create the original, in more authentic detail, up the La Have River at the Dayspring location of Snyder's Shipbuilding. The current project is to be funded privately without aid from government. The anticipated launch date is 2010. The Province has been notably cool to this project and claims rights over the name "Bluenose" so that will have to be negotiated, or the new builders await the inevitable fall of the party in power.

The view looking down King Street extension toward the water. The building in the foreground, left, is occupied by several businesses including offices of the Lunenburg Fish Company which face the intersecting Bluenose Drive. The Knaut-Rhuland wharf is seen in the middle distance and to the right the Fisherman's memorial (our local version of Stonehenge). The masts of the Bluenose II are at right and the Bluenose Company Store, also facing on Bluenose Drive, is in the yellow building.

The Bluenose Company Store is no longer officially associated with the schooner itself. The Bluenose Preservation Trust had care and control over this reproduction for many years, but quarrels with the Province caused the latter to move this responsibility to another group working under the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. These newcomers fund operation of the schooner through public donations, sales from the Museum Gift Shop which they operate, and by charging visitors for time at sea. Meanwhile, the Preservation Trust which operates the competing "Company Store" has balked at transferring funds in trust to the new operators. There the matter rests while legal eagles duke it out!

This was the only component of the renewed Bluenose II not in place this morning. At dockside these wooden mast extensions are currently being refinished. A portion of the Bluenose can be seen in her berth at right.

The Bluenose II was created by the Oland family of Halifax as a promotion for its Schooner beer product. When they lost interest in it, it was acquired by the Province of Nova Scotia and maintained as a sailing advertisement for the province in foreign ports. She is now quite an elderly lady and usually sails close to her home port. Some marine experts give her about five years of continuing semi-active life, but the Province is convinced that she can continue for many more years.

Here we show the Bluenose II (1) at her berth beside the Public Wharf. The newly constructed, old styled, Lunenburg Arms (2) dominates the landward view. Next a real estate office (3) painted yellow; Historic Grounds (4) where I stop for coffee; (5) The Lunenburg Progress Enterprise (a weekly newspaper); (6) art gallery and clothing store; (7) Houston North Art Galley (innuit art); (8) The Bluenose Company Store; (9) building occupied by offices of the Lunenburg Fish Company; (10) Ticket offices for three local tour boat operations. Their craft use the right side of this wharf. 11. Boat shed used to store the oars and gear of individuals training for the annual International Dory Races. Most of the original shore buildings in this location are long gone but a few buildings to the east and west are originals which have been rennovated for the tourist industry.

Bluenose II Refit

This year the Lunenburg based Bluenose II is getting her first major refit in two decades. As mentioned earlier, the main mast has been replaced and last week the booms were added to the masts. The main mast is 125' tall and extremely large in circumference. Starting this week, the crew have been very busy resetting new sails preparatory to sea trials.

This is a very labour intensive business involving the use of many feet of unbroken tackle. Here, a worker is seen crawling along the main boom at a height of a dozen feet from the deck. As he does so he threads his rope through grommets in the new sail.

The Lunenburg Arms

Barely a block away. This is, at least, competent commercial art. But why?

More Lunenburg Paint On Buildings

Just around the corner from that last effort...

Another Lunenburg Paint On Site

Think this classifies as commercial rather than fine art. But really!
This is painted on the left side of the Dockside Restaurant, facing the Fisheries Museum Parking lot and some picturesque fishing vessels at their docks and moorings.

Another Figurative Painting.

This is the kind of image which gives a bad name to figurative art. It is located on the side of a brick building in Lunenburg, Noca's Scotia's main drag (King Street).

If it had been folk art, the effect might have been better! It was intended to complement the image of the Laughing Whale Cafe. That shop has been defunct for several seasons. The building itself is empty, but whatever takes it place has this strange decorative art form on its side. I have nothing against decorative art, but this is like a scream on the street, and belongs on a small pine board located on some distant, private, interior wall. This sort of thing is somewhat akin to commercial enterprises which broadcast their personal tastes in music to a street of unsuspecting passers-by. What do you think?

Todays Painting: Aspotagen

Aspotagen, Nova Scotia, is a place with a native Micmaq name. Unquestionably, it has the most colourful fishing craft in all of this province. The masters of these craft have a strong preference for primary colours: red, blue and yellow in the highest chroma. This was early fall 2006 when the boats had been pulled from the water for the winter. The ramp on which the yellow boat rests is made up of peeked logs laid on the bare ground. This was a dull, cold day, so all that colour was doubly appreciated.

Lunenburg Folk Art Tableau

Here we have the better part of folk art erected on a balcony of the Dockside Restaurant facing out on the Bluenose berth and the Fisheries Museum parking lot. A couple of exterior paintings which appear elsewhere are crude rather than cute. These are admittedly cute but a little too far up in the air to receive much attention. See entry below!

Study: The Bluenose Comes Home.

This afternoon's little (8x10") study. A painting used to test the notion that this image might be the basis for a much larger painting in a somewhat expanded format. I think it will work, so that sketch has also been rendered and the dark areas established. The image is based on a photograph which I took last fall when Bluenose II returned from her last trip in Nova Scotian waters.

The ship in the background is the superstructure of an antique steamship, the "Cape North". Her hull is long gone but this part was rescued by the Lunenburg Atlantic Fisheries Museum and can be visited within their compound where she has become a permanent part of an adjoining wharf.

This painting is in acrylic and will eventually make it to my regularly web site at rodneymackay.com, where it will be offered for sale.

The Barque Picton Castle and Pirate Master

This was my painting of the bow of the Picton Castle as seen last fall. When this globe-encircling ship arrives home in Lunenburg this summer sahe'll be wearing theatrical makeup. The 284-ton barque has gone to the dark side for her role as a primary stage set in the new reality show to be called "Pirate Master". Pirates could hardly tolerate a white paint job so that has been switched to black! Those with long memories will recall that this was the original colour of the ship before she was refitted for sailing. As mentioned earlier, the new figurehead is impressive (just google Picton Castle to have alook),

In the new TV show sixteen individuals will compete as "pirates" intent on recovering a million dollars in loot. In each episode the least avaricious appear before a pirate's court and set adrift in a small boat. Finally, attrition will lead to the appointment of a Pirate Master who will receive a prize worth $500,000 for his maliciousness.

Here is this mornings little (8x10") sketch featurings new dories built this spring at the Dory Shop, a mere four minutes distant from my studio. On my web site (rodneymackay.com) , I'll be detailing the creation of this image showing how the background was modified for the sake of simplicity and to make the boats the centre of interest. These paintings start in a very loose manner most of the drawing being done with paint. With man-made structures like this, a bit of hard edge work takes place as the painting progresses. The surround has a lot of toothbrush acrylic paint spatter in its make-up. A miniature action non-objective work within the larger design.