Ariel

Ariel by Efren Erese

         The Ariel was one of a handful of beautiful oak and teak ships built especially for the purpose of the annual clipper ship race. Her first captain, john Keay, was one of the most experienced masters in the china trade. On her first voyage home loaded with tea, she was involved in one of the closest races ever witnessed in the china trade. The famous race between the fastest clippers of the China tea trade was between the Fiery Cross, Ariel, Serica and the Taeping. On a voyage of over 100 days, and covering a vast expanse of the globe, the strain on the ship, crew and officers was incredible. The ships would see each other briefly, only to lose sight of each other as the individual skippers used all their knowledge, seamanship, and experience in the attempt to get home first and win the premium paid to the first cargo landed. The race started as the ships crossed the Min river bar on the last day of May. By August they had crossed the equator and were racing up the Atlantic, the Ariel in the lead with Taeping and the Fiery Cross battling for second. Although the Ariel reached the English Channel first, the Taeping was right behind her. The Taeping‘s tug was the faster and so she docked a half hour before the Ariel. A more extraordinary finish could not be imagined, as the Taeping, Areil and the Serica, which all left China on the same tide in May, all docked on the Thames on the same tide three months later!

         Efren S. Erese has been a founding member of the Pacific Artists’ Guild for over 35 years. While drawing inspiration from such maritime masters as Montague Dawson and Jack Spurling, Mr. Erese has since developed his own unique style, while still honoring the tradition of the masters. He is equally at home painting the intricacies of the rigging of a 19th century clipper sailing ship as he is recording the natural beauty of the exotic flowers that surround his home in the Philippines.

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What is a Mirrored Print & Gallery Wrap?

Canvas for Gallery Wrap

Take a good look at your print. The edges are mirrored, so that, the complete image is shown on the face of the frame once it is wrapped. In other words, You don’t lose any of the artwork. Our 2½” mirrored borders, allow your finished product to have a variety of thickness up to 2” deep. Therefore, make sure you choose an experienced framer who can make the frame to the exact specs of your custom print.

Hand-made Rattan Frames

Though the design has changed over the years, we commission these Rattan frames through a small family owned company in The Philippines. Your frame is the result of trial and error of the last 20 years! Rattan is a vine-like Palm that requires forest cover in order to thrive. Rattan grows throughout the jungle for over a quarter of a mile. Its trunk can span a diameter of over two inches down to the thickness of a human hair. The harvester’s collection process is performed by hand by a simple machete. Ultimately, the rattan vine cannot survive without the forest. Rattan quickly regenerates. As a result, this method of harvesting protects the destruction of the forest.

Ariel by Efren Erese

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