You may have seen Dave’s work gracing the walls of the homes of fellow gig rowers. Keen to find out how gig rowing has inspired his wide range of creative works, we invited Dave to tell us more.
Hi, I’m Dave Matthews, ‘Cornish Dave’ to some and a gig rower for Flushing & Mylor for almost twenty years. I was introduced to gig rowing by a DJ friend at that time from the old Pirate FM radio station, since then I’ve never looked back. I loved the ‘Cornishness’ of the sport, not to mention the regular opportunity to exercise and appreciate our fabulous coastal waters with friends and crew mates. However you can’t be involved in gig rowing without admiring the workmanship that goes into making a Cornish Pilot Gig, they are simply a work of art!
My working life has been in design and marketing, creative imagery, photography and more recently a step change to landscape design and build. Several years ago I decided to start illustrating these beautiful boats. There are such a variety of colours and amazing names to draw on.
My earliest ones were quite simple renderings whereas more recent ones are far more detailed and include oar sets alongside the profile. The end product is a superior grade fine art canvas presented in a ‘floating’ frame style, finished and ready to hang. My illustrations appear three dimensional with subtle, airbrush style shadowing helping to lift the image off the page. The illustrations feature the name, colour and detail of each particular gig and can include bespoke design options or a personal text relevant to the recipient. Whilst the standard size is 24” x12”, larger sizes and other framing formats can be accommodated.
Gigs that I haven’t yet illustrated can be created to order with some help from members of that club to ensure colours, names and details are correct. I really enjoy liaising with other rowers to create a new profile. Often my pictures are presented to coxes, coaches and volunteers who have dedicated time and enthusiasm to the sport as well as those that have achieved great racing results on the water. Occasionally I get asked to put together a montage of images alongside a gig profile to cover an event such as the World Pilot Gig Championships. These are very special and quite unique mementos capturing personal memories.
My collection of photographic works includes seascapes of stunning locations and abstract studies focusing on the shapes, movement and colours encountered in and around gigs.
These are available to order as fine art prints in various sizes and formats.
And then there’s the quirky stuff! Snappy strap lines and a bit of humour. Most gig rowers that I have met love a good laugh! My own designs are featured on clothing, cushions, mugs and more, and can be found in the merchandise section of the website.
So that’s what I do when I’m not gig rowing or working on my landscapes. Feel free to get in touch about the products or to chat about any specific requirements or projects. I look forward to creating some new works of art in the future and hearing about the gigs in your life! I could even design you a club logo… if you need one? See you on the water folks!
Prints, merchandise and more can be found online at www.cornishorigins.co.uk.
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