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Roses & Castles, by Paul Clevett

  'Traditional Roses and Castles, a dying art, I hope not.'

Many people comment on the wonderful roses and castle landscapes painted on narrowboat and items used by boaters such as water cans etc.

However there is little known history about why or where the painting came from, it is one of the few things that is truly British, as is the narrowboat itself.

Why we should keep these traditions

1. The Roses and Castles show the unique identity of the narrow boat on our canals.
2. It is part of our culture as boaters
3. Unlike stickers and vinyl, it requires some skill to paint them, I have been painting for nigh on 2 years and may possibly qualify as a journeyman soon but I have been studying hard.
4. Have you ever been to a marina or walked down the towpath and seen wonderful painting? Imagine if none of it was there and they boats were just plain.

The Great Painters

My favourite painters are Frank Nurser, Ron Hough, Tony Lewery, Phil Speight and Dave Moore. However I paint more like Phil because I’ve spent hours and hours studying the work!

I have spent a LOT of time studying watercans and boat painting from the past, you will see some of the designs and frills incorporated into some of my own work – in fact I tend not to be very good  at doing anything new and original, that’s because I am keen to continue a tradition that has been in existence for generations of painters rather than just making up my own thing, which, in truth, probably could not be classed as traditional narrow boat painting.

What it takes

For a boat painter to become accredited by the Waterways Craft Guild they have to submit an item to a panel and pay both a membership fee and accreditation fee.

Once the fee is sent the craft guild come back and let you know how you got on. I found their assistance very helpful and worked with Phil Speight ( you can choose who you work with to develop your skills ).

I tend to paint old stuff – like buckets or bits of board just to practice.

 The Tools of the Trade

To paint properly you do really need the right brushes, sable are the best but Phil Speight’s Craftmaster range do a starter kit which includes some basic colours and cheaper brushes for around £50.00.

I use the craftmaster flat colours all the time, I find they are getting better and better, this is because a master painter is involved in the manufacturing process.

Summary

If you are interested in learning how to paint Roses and Castles visit www.waterwayscraftguild.org.uk and contact one of the master painters for a course or two

To see my work (I do commissions) www.rosesandcastles.org.uk 

Making Money from it

I tend to paint up and sell at shows, I was selling on ebay but really there is so much cheaply badly painted stuff on there that I would rather paint and sell to people who appreciate the art.

YOU CAN WIN A PERSONALISED WATERING CAN, WORTH £100, Click Here

For more about living on board a narrowboat please Click Here to buy Paul Clevett's ultimate guide for five pounds.

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Paul Clevett, who submits articles to JustCanals everyweek, is a Waterways Author. He lives on a 70 foot Narrow Boat (NB Tafelberg) in Cowley, Uxbridge with his Wife, Two Children and Crew Chris, and of course the cat. As well as writing his amazing electronic book which tells the reader everything they need to know about living on board a narrowboat (Click Here to find out more) Paul Clevett is an apprentice Roses and Castles painter (Click Here to visit his Roses & Castles website).

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