The 'Ocean Phoenix'
A chance encounter was the inspiration behind my mural of the 'Ocean Phoenix', a fibreglass sailing pleasure boat which I painted on the East Pier in the mid-1990s and revitalised in March 2024.
The boat's owner was Dave Wilding, a retired Royal Navy officer from Caernarfon, a port town in Gwynedd, Wales. One day, when berthing along the East Pier, he noticed me at work on one of his murals. He requested that I consider paining his boat. I replied that I would, but I had to put it on the long finger due to other commitments.
Some time later, I learned of the sad news that Dave had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. This gave me the impetus to paint Dave's pride and joy on the pier. Upon his next visit to Wicklow harbour (this time and from then onwards over the next six years until his passing, with the help of a crew member or two), Dave was ecstatic to see the completed mural of his beloved 'Ocean Phoenix'.
Two years after the painting of the mural, Dave, on one of his visits to Wicklow, invited me to accompany him on his return sailing to Caernarfon. I was delighted to accept the invitation. Upon safely arriving there, Dave showed me the sights of the port town and later that evening drove me to Holyhead with just five minutes to spare to catch the Irish Ferries' 'Jonathan Swift' for my passage back to Dublin.
I fondly recall that the day spent with Dave was one of the most enjoyable and memorable of my life.
Comments
Post a Comment