Blog Archive

Up a creek again, paddling madly!

It took a few few weeks to adjust to life back at home. Temperatures of 6 degrees and under, gales and rain, and the challenges of small boat living in winter took a bit of getting used to after six weeks of domestic ease and balmy temperatures! Farewell Sydney… Hello gales and rain… Luckily, my continue reading »


The Sketchbook Voyage

Now my tour of duty on P&O ‘Aurora’ is at an end, I’m trying to summarise some of the watercolour and drawing techniques that I touched on during 22 sea days, most of which will be in my book on watercolours when I manage to finish it, which will be soon! I spent most of continue reading »


Fjords, friends and journey’s end

Well, New Zealand was a surprise. It’s been on my list of ‘places I’d love to go to one day’, but I hadn’t had time to research our ports of call – Auckland, Bay of Islands, Wellington, Akaroa, Dunedin and the fjords. I loved them all but these were the highlights: Bay of Islands – continue reading »


Art lessons across the Pacific

Maui – Honolulu – Pago Pago (American Samoa) – Apia (Western Samoa) – Auckland Since last writing, I’ve crossed the equator and the date line. I’ve visited Maui, Honolulu, American Samoa and Western Samoa, and we’ve just docked at Auckland, New Zealand.  During the last weeks I have taught classes on colour mixing, perspective, the continue reading »


Rolling down to Old Maui

It’s a damn tough life full of toil and strife we whalemen undergo And we don’t give a damn when the whaling’s done how hard the wind does blow For we’re homeward bound from the Arctic ground with a good ship taut and free And we won’t give a damn when we drink our rum continue reading »