Decided against including a surface smoke flare , too distracting .
Got the scene pretty much as I want it now . Detailing / refining of the helicopter next .
I’m not great on seas and struggled to find any colour photos of Carley floats post war.
The setting is the North Sea , Winter 1965. Sinking of the Sea Gem rig .

Yell if you see something wrong , I’d hate to get to the end of this and be told then.

Thanks Jim . I wondered if being on a civilian oil rig vessel might have swayed them to yellow . To be honest I haven’t see any of the colour I’ve painted . The nearest is a very pale yellowish grey colour so I might tone it down to that . Seems daft not to have made them more visible but I guess the Navy weren’t planning on advertising their presence bearing bright yellow equipment on deck.

Thanks Jim I’m sure I read a report that mentioned a small Carley float but finding it again is a pain . Anyway I’ve toned down the yellow and it will suffice as a generic float I guess . I did ask the folks at Morayvia but haven’t heard back from them.
On to the lettering – always a favourite of mine (Not!)

Thanks Sparticus – I’ll have a try at the shadows – not the easiest of colours to get the shadows right with but I’ll keep on till it looks right . (That’s the beauty of Acrylics )

24″ x 20″ Acrylic on canvas.

I lied a bit there – not quite finished . Serial no. to add and general tidy up / last details check to do but this is it in the main.
. Air Sea Rescue of crew from sunken rig vessel Sea Gem in Dec 1965 . Aircrew awarded George Medal , Air force Cross and an MID for their magnificent efforts in appalling sea conditions .

Thinking about this one and rereading the descriptions of the event I decided that I could not ignore the fact that there was a lot of oil on the surface , staining the survivors red so I assume that would mainly be red diesel from the machinery on board the rig . I am now working to add a suggestion of oil sheen to the surface in places . I also decided to show the leg stump which was all that remained visible of the sunken rig vessel . Also thinking about the substantial
amount of wreckage which would have been adrift in the area . A painting is never “finished” I’m wary of cluttering the painting and spoiling t so must tread warily.