Artists Harbour has been asked — with sublime courtesy, we may say — to let our blog readers know about artrise, a new social network specifically for artists, being launched right now by artists in Chicago and Romania, to let artists network directly without having to use Facebook etc.  So for anyone with an interest in art and artists worldwide (and the art market in the USA), below we reprint what artrise sent us, and we wish this artists’ initiative good luck.

We would also like to remind people that there are some excellent British-based artists’ networks, both online and off, starting with the redoubtable a-n.co.uk  (The Artists’ Information Company) where artists can find many other ways to network with their peers in the UK.

What artrise has to say for itself…

Connecting the entire art industry on one social network

Contrary to popular belief, Facebook can’t do everything — especially when it comes to what artists need. Two artists are looking to change that with artrise, the first social networking website specifically for the art industry.

Founders Alex Soare and Alex Neculaie founded the art social network to fill the gap that other, more generic social networking sites were leaving for artists. While there was no denying their ability to reach a large number of people quickly, they weren’t cutting it for artists. The business partners needed a better way to showcase their artwork and connect with other artists — all types of other artists. When they found that there wasn’t one, they created one.

Artrise isn’t here to take Facebook’s place; it’s here to be a supplement network for artists to connect with each other on a more niche, more personal level. So when you’re looking to just reach other maritime artists, painters or sculptors, artrise lets you do that, without bogging down your broader social network.

A page from artrise, the new US social network site for artists

In addition to providing a space for artists to interact with each other, artrise also provides a space for artists to upload their artwork. Whether you’re a painter, musician, photographer, comic artist or sculptor, artrise gives you an online artist gallery, a professional space where you can showcase what you create, whatever it is you create. You’re also able to share your work with your network, getting feedback and ideas from the right people in your industry.

And in addition to using Artists Harbour to sell your maritime art to stave off that “starving artist stigma,” artrise also gives an exclusive listing of art events and art jobs for its members. For the most part, these are user generated, so you’ll likely be getting word of something that isn’t publically available yet. Know of a job? Register for artrise and you can post it in their art job listings to help out other artists.

While artrise is currently in private beta testing you can — and are encouraged — to request an invite code to be the first to register and try out the newest art social network by e-mailing contact@artrise.com, posting a comment on artrise’s Facebook wall, or connecting with them on Twitter. The public launch of artrise is set for Nov. 15, 2010.

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Titanic is without doubt the most famous shipwreck in the world stirring the imaginations of people of all ages.

At a depth of over two and a half miles under the Atlantic only a select few will ever get the chance to witness its awesome grandeur.

Rob Goldsmith from Washington is one of those few. He was lucky enough to win the chance to visit the Titanic through a competition run by The History Channel in May 2005 and now he wants to share his incredible journey with people who will never be lucky enough to see the great liner for themselves.

Strictly limited to 1,912 prints to reflect 1912 - the year Titanic sank - these two fantastic photos of the bow come printed on high quality, artists’ grade, 340gsm canvas approved by the Fine Art Trade Guild and finished with UV protected satin lustre. Each print is 24”x18” in size, is stretched over a 2” rosewood frame and is ready to hang.

The prints also come with a Certificate of Authenticity which features a small picture of the print as well as a photograph of Rob taken whilst at the Titanic wreck site. The certificates re individually signed and numbered by Rob Goldsmith himself. Each certificate is printed on Royal Kent Ivory paper which is both wood and chlorine free.

There are two prints to chose from, “Titanic’s Majestic Bow and Titanic’s Ghostly Bow.

“Titanic’s Majestic Bow” illustrates the full beauty of one of the famous parts of the ship. The light emanatingfrom submersible Mir 2 brings out the fantastic colours of the rusting ship, a sight rarely seen in a photograph. Look closely and you can make out the huge anchor on the port side, as well as the centre anchor, which of course, was never used.

“Titanic’s Ghostly Bow” shows a rarely seen angle of bow looking forward. The centre anchor, crane and railings are clearly visible as is part of the huge anchor chains. The lights from submersible Mir 1 light up the bow from the left giving the picture a dramatic, ghostly effect.

Captured on film by someone who saw the Titanic with his own eyes through the luck of the draw, these prints are a story in themselves.

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One of the most famous of all portraits of Lord Nelson, this picture by Lemuel Francis Abbott shows him as a hero in the full glory of his military decorations. The original picture hangs in Britain’s National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.

With a chestful of gold medals and a spectacular “chelengk” in his hat (a plume of triumph with 13 diamond-encrusted sprays representing the French ships at the Battle of Nile set around a rotating central diamond, given by the Turkish Sultan) Nelson – the superstar of his day – cut a dashing but odd and somewhat controversial figure,, as decorations were not as usual in military life as we they are today. Some other naval officers derided him for wearing them.

Dr. Colin White, the renowned Nelsonian scholar and author of The Nelson A to Z, notes that by the end of his life Nelson was entitled to wear the stars of four orders of knighthood and two official gold medals seen here on ribbons around his neck – the King’s Naval Gold Medals for the Battles of Cape St Vincent and the Nile, which were among the first British named campaign medals ever issued, rare and very highly prized.

Nelson’s wore his stars on his left breast – the premier decoration was the star of the Order of the Bath, a high British decoration. The other three stars were all unusual – the King of Naples gave Nelson and his Nile captains the specially created Order of St Ferdinand and Merit (a non-Catholic order of knighthood) while for the same battle The Sultan of Turkey gave Nelson the special, new and non-Muslim Order of the Crescent. The Order of St Joachim was a private German order of chivalry.

This print is available from our webshop.

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The “Jolie Brise” was built in 1913 in Le Havre, as a French Pilot boat. In 1925 it won the first Fastnet Race, and again in 1929 and 1930. In 1932 her Skipper won thr Blue Water Medal for a daring rescue of the crew of the “Adriana” which caught fire during the Bermuda Race. The “Jolie Brise” was winner of the Tall Ships Race in 1980, 1986 and 2000.

The first British ocean race was inaugurated in 1925 and was called the Fastnet Race because the course ran from the Isle of Wight, down the Channel and across part of the Atlantic to the lighthouse on the Fastnet Rock, off the southwestern Irish coast, before returning to Plymouth. The race, which has been called the Grand National of ocean racing, was started by a group of hardy sailors in 1925.

Only seven yachts started the 605 mile course on August 15th, which was won by the “Jolie Brise”, in a time of 6 days, 2 hours and 45 minutes, having ghosted through calms and fog. Not so lucky were the trailing boats, which got caught in a gale neat the end of the race. All eventually made it to safety, but their rough treatment was a forestate of th perils that the Fastnet race would offer future contestants.

The painting shows the “Jolie Brise” rounding the Fastnet Rock at 7.50 p.m. on AUgust 19th, 1925, leading “Gull” by 40 minutes, and “Fulmar” by 1 hour 25 minutes. Ass she rounded, the lighthouse keeper informed them of their leading position by semaphore.

“The dramatic image of the Jolie Brise rounding the Fastnet Light had been on my mind for some time, but it was the events of the year 2000 that spurred me into committing it to canvas. Whilst doing the research for the painting I had the opportunity to go on board and get the feel of this historic ocean thoroughbred and I hope that I have managed to reflect the spirit that I felt in her.”

We have this great limited edition print of 850 signed by Rodney Charman available now from our webshop. Other prints from Rodney are also available.

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With the 202nd anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar coming later this week, it’s a good time to have another look at one of the finest, large-scale modern maritime paintings.

The picture is Steven Dews’ Battle of Trafalgar painted over 7 years with the aid of several maritime museum curators to be released in 2005 for the 200th anniversary of this momentous battle.

The original oil painting made £95,000 at Bonham’s auction in their famoust London auction rooms. Since then, series of fabulous prints has been on sale and Artists Harbour is proud to say that we have been one of the most successful sellers of the large canvas print,1676mm x 1016mm(66-inches by 40-inches) which effectively from a distance of 1 metre gives you a £100,000 picture for around £1,000.

We accompany the large print with three historic pictures that illuminate the wonderful Dews canvas.

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