The Royal Society of Marine Artists’ annual exhibition includes Mark Myers’ painting The Mystery bound for Melbourne, depicting the 37 ft Cornish lugger, which was sailed from Cornwall to Australia in 1854-55. The heroic voyage is to be re-enacted by Pete Goss, sailing a replica, the Spirit of Mystery.

Marine art fans may already be familiar with another painting Bradford Service to the Indian Chief, which appeared on the RNLI Christmas cards last December and depicts one of the most celebrated lifeboat rescues. Ramsgate Coxswain Charles Fish was awarded a gold medal for this arduous 26-hour service on 5-6 January 1881 when he and his crew rescued 11 people from the stricken Indian Chief. It has been described as one of the finest services in the RNLI’s history.

Fans of Patrick O’Brian and Master and Commander will be glad to see Flying Kites, a painting of HMS Surprise by Geoff Hunt, specially created for the definitive book about this famous ship to be published in November.

The Society is also focusing on environmental issues this year, forging a new connection with the Marine Conservation Society. The MCS Chairman, Sir Geoffrey Newman, will be opening the show on -14 October 2008.
Artists are uniquely placed to observe and record our environment and the Members of the RSMA explore many aspects of this, our ocean planet.

Royal Society of Marine Artists annual exhibition is open from 15 October to 26 October 2008, 10am-5pm daily, closes 3pm on final day at the Mall Galleries,
The Mall (Near Trafalgar Square), London SW1 Tel: 020 7930 6844, Email: info@mallgalleries.com www.mallgalleries.org.uk/www.mallgalleries.org.uk> ,