Articles

Thursday 11th June 2009

SPIRIT OF MYSTERY PAINTING AUCTIONED FOR CHARITY

An original painting by renowned Cornish artist Glyn Macey, depicting the little wooden boat sailed by Pete Goss to Australia, is being auctioned to raise funds for a local charity.

Glyn Macey has captured on canvas the beautiful lines of Spirit of Mystery, the 37-foot long Mounts Bay lugger that adventurer Pete Goss and his intrepid crew sailed to Melbourne earlier this year. The exciting voyage shone a spotlight on the bravery of seven Cornishmen who made the same perilous journey 154 years ago aboard the smallest migrant vessel ever to make it to Australia.

The stunning painting of the vessel in full sail, entitled Spirit of Mystery, has been finished in acrylic on canvas and will be sold to help improve the lives and education of children in Cornwall. In a generous gesture Glyn has agreed to sell the original painting, signed by the artist and Pete Goss, in aid of Cornwall Playing for Success – the charity of which Pete is a founding trustee.

The painting measures 30 x 40 inches (approximately 75 x 100 centimetres) and will be listed on eBay in a seven day auction commencing on the morning of Monday 15th June. All the proceeds will go to Cornwall Playing for Success. Since returning from Australia earlier this year, Pete has raised an additional £5000 for the charity with fundraising activities including talks about his adventures at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Many of Glyn’s paintings are of the sea and he can often be found roaming the harbours, moorland and coast of his native West Cornwall, sketchbook in hand recording the details of daily Cornish life and history. So when Glyn heard about Pete’s latest project he jumped at the chance to record the epic voyage. Glyn said that he was inspired by the voyage and the story of heroism of the original crew.

It is particularly fitting that Glyn was born in Newlyn, the birthplace of the original Mystery which set sail from the Cornish port in 1854 carrying those brave Cornishmen who were seeking out a new life in the Victorian gold fields.

Glyn Macey said: “Cornwall not only has inspirational land and seascapes, it also has a history of inspirational people whose influence has spread around the world. The original voyage of the Mystery has inspired people through the generations and now Pete Goss has inspired a new generation by following in their wake. It was a pleasure and privilege to paint Spirit of Mystery.”

Pete Goss said: “The picture is absolutely fantastic. I think few artists can truly capture the spirit of the sea but Glyn has. He has it in his hands as that is how he paints – with his hands. It is great that a Cornish artist has put himself out for Cornish schoolchildren who will benefit through his generosity.”

Cornwall Playing for Success (CPfS) is an out-of-school-hours initiative set up to raise literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in children who have unrealised potential, using sport to improve young people’s attitudes to learning and motivation in school. They often don’t quite connect with school, leaving them feeling disaffected and demoralised.

CPfS uses sport to bridge that gap with dramatic results, as Pete explains: “On a ten week out-of-school-hours programme, the students improve their literacy and numeracy scores by 17 and 24 months in primary and secondary schools respectively. However, the real ‘fairy dust’ is self-esteem, which is carried back to school with long-term results.”

A limited run of 500 prints (34cm by 39cm) of the picture, signed by the artist and Pete Goss, are also available through petegoss.com priced at £45 each.

Ends - Dated 12/06/09

Glyn Macey:

Glyn Macey was born in Newlyn, Cornwall in 1969. He completed his HND in Graphic Design at Falmouth School of Art in 1991.

Since leaving college, he has lived in Penzance, Cornwall; his work developing in response to the unique environment of West Cornwall. He also worked as a successful designer until 1998 when he 'retired' from designing in order to devote his time solely to painting. Glyn Macey's paintings can be seen in many collections world-wide and his design work is found in many major high street retailers. 2001 saw the publication worldwide of posters by The Art Group and limited edition silkscreens by CCA Galleries.

He can often be found roaming the harbours, moorland and coast of his native West Cornwall, sketchbook in hand recording the details of daily Cornish life and history. Such sketches are in turn used as the basis for the studio paintings.

Using acrylic, mixed media and an array of mark making techniques he endeavours to capture the underlying essence of the landscape, the essence that shapes the landscape and the people who live in it. Many people see a continental look to his paintings. This is explained by his many visits to the South of France, Spain and the Mediterranean. Closer to Glyn's Cornish home, the summer landscape of West Cornwall has the same Continental feel.

Glyn uses acrylic, pencil and collage to gain the spontaneity of his work and the 'happy accidents' that he loves. By building and glazing colour he is able to gain a rich depth. He believes that the unexpected unity of colour and texture in mixed media can often create the most exciting results.

Glyn's paintings can be seen at select galleries around the U.K.

More information about Glyn Macey can be found at www.gullova.co.uk.