front cover
above
30. 12 Metre Yachts Racing on the Solent
31. Closer to the Wind
32. Haul-away
oil on canvas 102 x 127 cms 40 x 50 ins
opposite - on title page oil on canvas 102 x 127 cms 40 x 50 ins
black wash 56 x 41 cms 22 x 161⁄8 ins
MARTYN R. MACKRILL home waters III
catalogue II
2017
www.messums.com 28 Cork Street, London W1S 3NG  Telephone: +44 (0)20 7437 5545
Martyn Mackrill is as happy painting a clinker built dinghy laid up in a boatyard awaiting some winter attention as he is a 12-metre yacht under press of canvas in a stiff breeze, in a running sea, midsummer. He knows about boats, and he is a keen sailor himself. He is currently the Honorary Painter to the Royal Yacht Squadron and has had a busy year, but the new pictures contained within this catalogue speak of an artist happy in his work. Detailed pencil sketches express the joy he finds in the everyday seamanship required to run a vessel. Whilst thrilling at the prospect of recording the great races of the past, his deep knowledge of these vessels, their working parts, and the seamen who run them give his work an integrity that is often missing from other contemporary marine paintings. Sea condition, wind strength, and the setting of the sails are all at one in his pictures. Detail is laid in with the confidence of a master of his subject, so that small detail is there but doesn’t obscure the overall impression of a vessel underway, sails trimmed to the condition and course she is sailing. You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy his paintings; they express a love for the sea and sailing that is for all to share. Home Waters III is part of a series of exhibitions that we have held and, as its title suggests, most of the content is of yachts racing in the Solent waters and around the Isle of Wight. But there are delightful channel-cruising subjects too, harbour sketches with boats alongside, and scenes of just mucking about in boats. Martyn continues to thrill his audience and is definitely at his peak in this exhibition. 33. Nightfall, running into orford haven
oil on board 36 x 25 cms  14 x 10 ins
DM
top left
34. Ready About watercolour 38 x 33 cms 15 x 13 ins
top right
35. Crew Study II pencil 30 x 20 cms 113⁄4 x 7 7⁄8 ins
bottom left
36. Preparing to Sail pencil 30 x 20 cms 113⁄4 x 7 7⁄8 ins
bottom right
37. Flaking Down pencil 40 x 31 cms 151⁄2 x 12 ins
above
38. Winter Storage
oil on board 41 x 31 cms 16 x 12 ins
right
39. Black Jack
oil on board 31 x 41 cms 12 x 16 ins
top left
40. Study for ‘Handling the Backstay’ pencil 31 x 40 cms 12 x 151⁄2 ins
top right
41. Study for ‘An Idle Ship’ pencil 40 x 31 cms 151⁄2 x 12 ins
bottom left
42. Hauling the Top-Sail Halyard pencil 40 x 31 cms 151⁄2 x 12 ins
bottom right
43. Crew Study IV pencil 40 x 31 cms 151⁄2 x 12 ins
44. Down Channel
oil on canvas 71 x 107 cms 28 x 421⁄8 ins
top left
top right
45. Harwich Regatta
46. Dartmouth Regatta
pen and ink 57 x 84 cms 221⁄2 x 331⁄8 ins
pen and ink 46 x 66 cms 18 x 26 ins
bottom left
bottom right
47. Clyde Regatta
48. Audrey: Lord Dunraven’s 20-Rater Racing off Cowes
pen and ink 31 x 71 cms 12 x 28 ins
pencil and black wash 58 x 76 cms 23 x 297⁄8 ins
49. The Big Class, circa
oil on canvas 76 x 127 cms  30 x 50 ins
1930
top left
50. Ashore watercolour 31 x 56 cms 12 x 22 ins
top right
51. Halcyon Days watercolour 37 x 28 cms 141⁄2 x 11 ins
bottom left
52. Close Tacking watercolour 37 x 28 cms 141⁄2 x 11 ins
bottom right
53. Rowing About watercolour 28 x 38 cms 11 x 15 ins
top left
54. Aloft watercolour 38.1 x 25.4 cms 15 x 10 ins
top right
55. Dropping anchor watercolour 34.3 x 22.2 cms 131⁄2 x 83⁄4 ins
bottom left
56. The Bell buoy watercolour 34.3 x 22.2 cms 131⁄2 x 83⁄4 ins
bottom right
57. Ghosting In watercolour 41 x 43 cms 16 x 167⁄8 ins
above
58. Against Wind & Tide watercolour 28 x 37 cms 11 x 145⁄8 ins
right
59. Solent Sunlight
oil on canvas 41 x 51 cms 16 x 201⁄8 ins
60. Homeward, Brixham Trawler Approaching Bolt Head
oil on canvas 71 x 107 cms  28 x 42 ins
top left
61. A Steady Course pencil 40 x 31 cms 151⁄2 x 12 ins
top right
62. Crew Study III pencil 40 x 31 cms 151⁄2 x 12 ins
bottom left
63. Spreading her Wings pencil 40 x 31 cms 151⁄2 x 12 ins
bottom right
64. Becalmed pencil 40 x 31 cms 151⁄2 x 121⁄4 ins
65. A Freshening Breeze
oil on canvas 101 x 127 cms 393⁄4 x 50 ins
top left
top right
66. Solent Raters
67. Ghosting In
pencil and black wash 25 x 36 cms 10 x 14 ins
black wash 22 x 27 cms 81⁄2 x 10 5⁄8 ins
bottom left
bottom right
68. The Club Steamer on the Clyde
69. Turning at the Mark Boat
black wash 41 x 56 cms 16 x 22 ins
black wash 43 x 43 cms 17 x 17 ins
70. One Reef Down – A Solent One-Design on a Breezy Day in the Solent
oil on canvas 102 x 127 cms 401⁄8 x 50 ins
top left
top right
71. Thames Sailing Barges
72. Yarmouth One Designs
pen and ink 31 x 51 cms 12 x 20 ins
pencil and wash 29 x 42 cms 111⁄2 x 161⁄2 ins
bottom left
bottom right
73. Threshing Home
74. Hunter’s Quay
pen and ink 51 x 71 cms 20 x 28 ins
pen and ink 51 x 76 cms 20 x 30 ins
above
75. Blue and Gold Yachts Racing in the Clyde
oil on canvas 51 x 76 cms 20 x 29 7⁄8 ins
76. Lying Alongside
oil on canvas on panel 31 x 25 cms 12 x 10 ins
77. shrimper on the orwell
oil on canvas on panel 40.6 x 27.9 cms 16 x 11 ins
78. Sea Bird, a 25ft Yawl
oil on canvas 46 x 76 cms 18 x 297⁄8 ins
79. Rothesay Bay
oil on canvas 25 x 31 cms  10 x 12 ins
80. The Silver Sea
oil on canvas 61 x 76 cms 24 x 29 7⁄8 ins
photo © Dick Durham
Martyn Mackrill Honorary Painter to the Royal Yacht Squadron Born 12th August 1962. Married Bryony, 14th December 1984. Birth of children: Olivia, 1997; Georgina, 1998; Charlie, 2000. Martyn is a keen yachtsman and still owns the 31 foot gaff-cutter “Nightfall”. He was fully involved in her 12 year restoration, which included a new hull, new deck and interior all faithful to her original plans. He also builds exquisite model ships with a particular interest in Clyde paddle steamers. MEMBERSHIPS Royal Solent Yacht Club; Royal Thames Yacht Club: becomes their honorary painter in 2000, following in the footsteps of Condy, Norman Wilkinson and W. L. Wylie; British Classic Yacht Club.
ART EDUCATION 1981–2 Portsmouth College of Art 1982–4 Sunderland Polytechnic ONE MAN EXHIBITIONS 1986–90 Cooper Fine Arts 1993–94 Cooper Fine Arts 1998–99 Royal Exchange Art Gallery 2001 Royal Exchange Art Gallery 2003 Royal Exchange Art Gallery 2005 Joins Messum’s 2008 Messum’s, ‘Home Waters’ 2009 Messum’s, ‘Home Waters II’ 2010 Messum’s 2010 Arthur Beale, Ships Chandlers, Shaftesbury Avenue 2017 Messum’s, ‘Writer, sailor, soldier, ‘spy’’ – limited editions for Maldwin Drummond’s book ‘The Riddle’. Messum’s, ‘Home Waters III’ GROUP SHOWS 1996 Kendals Fine Art, Cowes 1995 John Martin, Albemarle Street
2002 Jonathan Grant Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand 2004 Island Fine Arts 2005 Monaco Yacht Club, Monaco. 2006 ‘The Call of the Running Tide’, Messum’s 2007 ‘The Call of the Running Tide’, Messum’s OPEN EXHIBITIONS 1985 Royal Society of Marine Artists 1986 Royal Institute of Watercolours PUBLICATIONS “Yachts on Canvas”, by James Taylor, 1998, Conway Maritime Press Traditional Boats and Tall Ships Magazine, 2000 Classic Boat Magazine, Sept 1995 America’s Cup Jubilee, Official Book 2001 Yachting Heritage, 2005 and 2008 COLLECTIONS HRH Princess Anne, HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Royal Thames Yacht Club, Royal Solent Yacht Club and private collections worldwide.
left
81. Boatshed, NewTown
oil on canvas 45.7 x 25.4 cms 18 x 10 ins
back cover
82. Nightfall at St. Helen’s Quay
oil on board 41 x 31 cms 16 x 12 ins
CDXIX
ISBN 978-1-910993-11-8 Publication No: CDXIX Published by David Messum Fine Art © David Messum Fine Art
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www.messums.com 28 Cork Street, London W1S 3NG Telephone: +44 (0)20 7437 5545