Drifting to Anchor – Original Painting

This original painting entitled "Drifting to Anchor" by David Raine depicts a West Country coastal trading ketch.

These vessels were the workhorses of the sea, plying their trade along the coastline of the southwest of England from the 17th century onwards. They were typically around 100 feet long and could carry up to 50 tons of cargo.

The ketch in the painting is shown at anchor in a calm sea. The ship is probably awaiting the tide to turn so that it can unload its cargo of pit props to support the roofs of Cornish coal mines, and they were a major export from the Forest of Dean in the 19th century.

Today, most West Country coastal trading ketches have been converted into charter boats or pleasure craft. However, there are still a few that continue to ply their trade in the traditional way. These vessels are a reminder of a bygone era, when the sea was the lifeblood of the southwest of England.

We love the way that David has captured the simplicity of this traditional vessel. The ketch is painted in silhouette against the morning sky. The lines of the ship are clean and elegant, and the whole scene is peaceful and serene.

David is a Cornwall-based artist who is inspired by the sea and the shore. He creates various products, such as table lamps, mirrors, furniture and paintings, that capture the very essence of the shoreline.

When David he hitch-hiked to St Ives and bought a fisherman’s/painters smock, had half a pint in the Sloop Inn whilst looking out over the harbour, blinked into the midsummer sun glaring across the turquoise sea and fantasised that he was a painter. How easy dreams start!

At that time I sailed a 10.6’ dinghy on the Bristol Channel, now after all these years, I sail an 11’ foot dinghy on the Helford River estuary in Cornwall. Who cares if it’s only a smidgen of progress in sixty years?

This original acrylic painting has been created on a deep canvas with a pallet knife and brush giving lots of texture to the piece. The work is unframed, but is ready to hang.

Size: 85 x 3 x 60 cm (32.5 x 1.25 x 23.5 inches)