A recent commission was for Stones in Salcombe. Along with the boat yard they also import specialised woods for the marine industry, in particular the prestigious classic & super yachts across  North America and Europe. Tristan Stone & I combined forces to create a 3D chart table© of Salcombe , the 3D chart was an archive chart of Salcombe and its various inlets. Tristan used Wenge wood for the table which complimented the 3D chart and was set off by the surround lighting. Wenge is a member of the great tree producing family, Leguminosae and comes from Africa, it has a gorgeous deep almost black colour, I can only describe it as stunning. The chart within the table is of Salcombe Harbour. I used a B&W chart from the 1950′s. A beautiful area and equally a beautiful chart. At the entrance to the harbour you have Bolt Head to the west and Prawle to the east. the outer entrance is called the Range. The entrance to the Salcombe estuary has a sand bar which is virtually impassable at low water  except for a a very narrow section to the west, I would say impossible in bad weather. The estuary is made up of several creeks that add to the character of the area. The South Sands and North sands bay s are nestled between Moult Pt . The leading lights at Sandhill Pt  guide mariners in over the bar into the main channel that leads up past Salcombe Town. The Batson Creek & Southpool creek  lead off from the main channel at  Snapes & Scoble  Points. The next section has unusual names for features like “The Bag” , “Mable Shoal” & “Dentridge” . Now the harbour broadens out into what can be best described as a basin where you have several creeks leading …

Chichester harbour has been added to the galleries, I chose the B&W chart because  the modern chart has too much text which detracts from the subject. The chart is from the 1950′s , it is pretty much the same although the shape and position of the Chichester bar has changed which is understandable given the amount of water that flows in and out.For further information please refer to the portfolio  

I enjoy commissions of new exotic locations , none more so than the Galapagos Islands. The commission was for a company “Buddy Dive” who operate two dive ships in the Galapagos Islands. The charts were sourced from the Admiralty Archive and dated back to the 1950′s. A fascinating area, when I compare the old B&W to the modern day chart, the differences are staggering – yes the islands are moving ! Have look at the portfolio The Galapagos Islands from a 1950′s B&W chart with Surround lighting. gallery.

Adventure of a lifetime “Antarctica Storyboard” I was asked by Andrew Killen to come up with a special gift for his dad Peter to mark the epic voyage from Ireland to the Antarctic and back. Peter Killen wrote: “Following my retirement in January 2004, I decided the best way to slip into a leisurely life style, was to sail our yacht from Ireland to Antarctica and back. It proved to be a great decision and the twelve months spent on the boat was a magical time. Of course, Antarctica was the highlight, and to share that part of the voyage with our two sons, Andrew and David, who crewed with me for that period, was the “icing on the cake!” It was certainly the most challenging part of the voyage, and we had some hairy moments. However, the breathtaking scenery and isolation, more than made up for any frights which we might have had”. The Storyboard 3D chart was the obvious solution. The highlight of the adventure was the Antarctic so I decided that we would have 4 locations based on that aspect of the voyage: 1: Cape Horn – it’s the iconic feature of that region. 2: The Beagle Channel – a spectacular cruising ground 3: Paradise Harbour – the most southerly point on the Ice cap 4: Deception Island – Sheltering from the storm! Each location had its own story and memories. I must say that this was one of my most rewarding projects, being able to capture such an adventure in one frame shows the effectiveness of the storyboard chart. Peter Killen wrote: “On our return to Ireland, Andrew, David and the rest of the family commissioned Bobby Nash of Latitude Kinsale to complete a 3D chart of the area in Antarctica where we sailed, including Deception …

Order form the other side of the world Maria contacted me having seen a documentary about my work on a TV programme in New Zealand. So the immediate challenge is to demonstrate that I can deliver what Maria wants: A 3D chart of Preservation Inlet in SW NZ on the South Island. I use the UKHO Admiralty charts for most commissions as they have the world’s most comprehensive portfolio of charts, however in this case I used the New Zealand chart NZ7654 which is the most detailed chart of the area, now the beauty of what I do is that I then select the section that is relevant to the client , in this case Preservation Inlet. I include enough of the chart that will show the focal point and also a bit extra just to put the area in perspective so in this case I included Chalky Island and the outer entrance to Edwardson sound. This information is presented to the client in the form of a pdf that defines the content – this is key as it shows the client what “content” they can expect from the finished piece! This takes the risk out of the commission so now my client who is on the other side of the world can be confident that I will do a good job. If you think about conventional commissioned art, you are at the mercy of what comes out of the artist’s head (mostly good), but you have no idea until the piece is finished, there is no safety net. This is not the case with my work. Having secured the clients confidence I now set about making the piece which is painstaking as all of the work is done by hand. Presentation is as important as the making, I take …