"Kiwi Ingenuity" , We hear it mentioned quite abit out here. Its New Zealand's way of a pat on the back for thinking through and acting on something challenging. It stems back to the days of the early pioneers of the 19th and 20th century when everything was literally shipped out and it was a case of make do with what you have and fix up as best.
Those days were still evident when I was working for companies in the 1980s, few then would throw out bolts, nuts, washers, everything was reused. So this leads me into one of my paintings shown here. F.B.Gray was one of the first established carriers in the farming district of Masterton in the 1920's. The painting (16x12" oil on canvas panel)worked from an old black and white photo shows Mr Gray in the foreground and his younger brother besides the Commer Commercial lorry he ran along with several others Commissioned by Mr Grays son ,Doug Gray who today at the age of 83 is still driving lorries to this day. The painting was produced in 2003 .
One wonders without the modern conveniences we now take for granted how these men and women lived from week to week, but they did and were they to return to our world would probably find it utterly confusing and very scary. My own impression on "Kiwi Ingenuity" however is a more universal approach, the same should be said on all early pioneers to every corner of the world who have ventured from their homeland into the unknown. New Zealand may be proud of its forefathers but there are many other nations who are also.
The other painting shown this week is one of a Britannia Class loco (oil on canvas panel 24x12") shown heading south on a mixed goods traffic just past the Levens viaduct. The Ulverston monument of Hoad can be seen in the background but is little artist licence here as the scaling is out. Unfortunately I did not obtain a good reproduction of this as the work sold pretty fast so the image you see it a little fuzzy.
Painted in 2004 as a selection of work on trains in UK . It has been an extraordinary week here in Kapiti. We had a huge waterspout develop over the coast during a thunderstorm and then it dropped its entire load over the whole district. Its the first one I have known in these parts. A few days later a mid air tragedy claiming three pilots after a helicopter and light aircraft collided , sending debris into a housing estate and an industrial area. No lives lost on the ground as it was a Sunday and the streets were relatively quiet in this particular area, but it certainly brings it home , just as our roads get busier each year, so are the skies.
To conclude on a happier note ,returning to the 1960's , trains and buses were always my fascination in Barrow and around Lancashire , Cumbria or wherever we could travel to. I have therefore deceided to re visit those years on canvas and produce more scenes of the buses and trains we remember over the coming months and place them on LRU. If you have a favourite let me know . This week I lost myself in those great tunes by the Electric Light Orchestra, whilst painting a scene of a train. So my pick has to be "Last Train to London''from their Discovery Album of 1979. Until next time , take care everyone. regards Wallace.
Thanks Syd, I recall several Britannia class on Furness metals. One day Oliver Cromwell was in Barrow in pristine condition prior to the withdrawl of steam, looked ver impressive.
regards Wallace
The Electric Light Orchestra is my all time favourite Group Wallace.I have all their Vinyl albums. Did you go and see them back in 1970 at the Civic hall in Barrow??
Lancashire Re-United offers for sale and exclusive to this website prints of original artwork of Municipal Bus fleets , Railway Locos,Barrow Built ships & Company wagons by WALLACE TRICKETT who has VERY KINDLY given me the selling rights to these prints.Simply click on LANCASHIRE PRINTS to purchase these stunning memories of Lancashire'sroad transport heritage at the AMAZING price of JUST £9.99--each plus P&P -
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