Massey’s "Brush with History" exhibit
featured at Ship Store Galleries

For his 2005 Hawaii exhibition hosted by Ship Store Galleries "A Brush with History," Ray Massey created two master works including the largest painting of his career. Most of last year was spent researching and painting "To the Shores of Tripoli" a 48 by 30 inch oil on canvas of The Battle of Tripoli, fought 200 years ago in 1804. Few artists ever attempt to paint a stern view of the USS Constitution from this early period as there is great controversy over exactly what her stern looked like. Much has been written and little has been illustrated to conclusively solve this mystery.

However, after a research trip to the Annapolis Museum in Preble Hall and after consulting with the director and staff experts at the Annapolis Museum, Ray was connected with Ty Martin, author of "Most Favored Ship'" and the Captain for 35 years of the USS Constitution, now a floating museum in Boston Harbor. Raking through the clues, the logs and officers' journals of the battle action, and conferring with all the known authorities, Massey believes his final painting of Old Ironsides in action is the most accurate depiction possible.

The painting's title from the Marine Corps Anthem is also Ray's tribute to all the servicemen and women who are currently serving so valiantly in Iraq and the Mideast to liberate from tyranny and give the opportunity for democratic freedoms to a distant people. Thomas Jefferson sent the USS Constitution and USS Syren to Tripoli (now Libya) in 1804 and in the months following this historic sea battle, the Barbary pirates released all American captives who had been kidnapped, forced into slavery and held for ransom. Ray believes Jefferson made the correct decision. "Millions for defense; not one cent for tribute," still rings true.

The second major painting unveiled at this year's exhibition is a totally different "brush with history," altogether. "Na Pali Voyagers - The Charting Expedition of 1837" is the largest canvas Massey has ever painted measuring 72 inches by 40 inches. The relatively small but exceedingly sturdy British survey vessels, round the point from Hanalei Bay as rain clouds mass over the NaPali cliffs, rising in their finger like columns. Escorted by a school of dolphins, the ship/bombboat H.M.S. Sulphur followed by the Lark Class Schooner, head up the NaPali Coast in 1837 after successfully finishing the charting of Hanalei Bay.

Captain Edward Belcher's mission was to chart and map both Honolulu Harbor and Hanalei Bay. To those experienced in hiking and exploring this coast of Kauai, the enchanting "Blue Room" and "Puff's Cave" are clearly discernible. The late afternoon light is casting its purple haze on the far distant cliffs of the NaPali Coast while sunlight illuminates the ships and the reefs at Ke’e Beach. As all first visitors to the NaPali react, the view of this coastline is truly ethereal or "other worldly." There is no topography on this planet more awe inspiring in its beauty - an opinion that is held by the artist and shared by most everyone who visits Kauai.

Ray had planned to paint this painting 10 years ago, but as there are no ships' plans for the Sulphur. He had to order her sister ship's plans (Terror) from the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. Originally, plans for the wrong ship were sent - as there are several ships by the same name.

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