Thessalus

Thessalus by Efren Erese

         Launched in 1874 at the height of the boom in iron clipper ships, the Thessalus was the largest and perhaps the fastest of all the beautiful ships built for the Golden Fleece line. The Thessalus wasn’t designed for a specific purpose yet she traveled everywhere, She was known to be “extraordinarily free of accidents.” Once, while in the Bay of Bengal a huge cyclone struck. The Thessalus was carrying a pack of foxhounds for the Calcutta Jackal Club, and the captain, seeing the storm approaching, ordered the ship to prepare for heavy weather. Knowing that the dogs would likely not survive in their kennel stowed on the deck, the hounds were let out. The storm hit and the kennel was washed overboard. Then the cyclone passed, everyone thought the dogs had gone overboard with the kennel. Surprisingly they appeared from their hiding place under the fo’c’sle safe and sound. On another voyage, carrying horses from Melbourne to Calcutta, her skipper, Captain E.C. Bennett, was congratulated for delivering his equestrian cargo. For although the passage was a slow one, all the horses were landed alive and well, while the Udston arrived shortly afterwards with only four of her cargo of horses alive. They had broken loose in the “tween decks” during bad weather on the Bau of Bengal and kicked each other to death. The grand old ship was finally broken up about five years before the first world war.     

         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.

Thessalus by Efren Erese

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