Liner's Scots lineage lives on in painting

THE QE2 was the greatest of the transatlantic liners built on the Clyde and served as the flagship of the famous Cunard fleet.

But in a sign of the decline in Scotland's once mighty shipbuilding industry, Cunard's new Queen Elizabeth liner, dubbed QE3, is being built in a yard in Italy.

However, there will be one part of the new ship that is forever associated with Scotland thanks to a world-renowned maritime artist from Glasgow and Cunard's desire not to forget the ship's Scottish heritage.

Gordon Bauwens, who has painted most of Cunard's fleet, has just completed his most important commission - a large oil painting of the QE2 on its final journey up the Clyde which will take pride of place in the main hall of the QE3.

Now every passenger on the new liner will be reminded of the ship's Scottish lineage, with the five-foot wide painting showing the liner making its way home to Glasgow.

Mr Bauwens, 58, took 700 hours to complete the oil painting, based on his own photographs of the liner making its final visit to the Clyde in 2008, with the Isles of Bute and Arran in the background.

The Glasgow-born artist, said: "This has been one of my most ambitious works to date.

"Including the research, it has taken me over three months to complete and will take pride of place in the new liner."

Mr Bauwens has a long association with the QE2 and Cunard, but declined to say how much they had paid for the painting.

He was a schoolboy when she was launched in 1967 to a cheering Glasgow crowd and was commissioned to paint Cunard's new flagship, the Queen Mary, when she was launched in 2004.

The former graphic designer welcomed the QE2 back to the Clyde, along with many other Scots, on her last visit in 2008.

"I can trace my passion for Cunard ships back to early childhood," he said.

• To see more of Gordon's art, visit www.gbmarineart.com"I clearly remembers spotting the liner Sylvania being fitted out at the John Brown shipyard in Clydebank in the mid 1950s.

"Although only six years old, it was love at first sight when I saw those gleaming Cunard colours and many childhood drawings of Cunard ships followed."

Later, as a teenager, Mr Bauwens regularly cycled the 30-mile round trip from his home in the east of Glasgow to watch progress on the building of "Q4" at John Brown's yard before witnessing her launch as Queen Elizabeth 2 in September 1967.

This memorable event inspired his very first painting of QE2 shortly afterwards and kindled a lifelong passion for this legendary ship.

Former QE2 captain Ian McNaught, who sailed the liner on its final voyage up the Clyde portrayed in the new painting, said it had rekindled great memories for him. And he told of his delight that the QE2's Clydeside heritage will be permanently on show in the new QE3 liner.

He said: "I asked to sail the QE2 on its final journey up the Clyde and it remains one of my proudest moments at sea.

"I have known Gordon for many years and his painting is absolutely wonderful. It really captures its beauty.

"The fact that it will be on permanent display on the new Queen Elizabeth is a wonderful reminder to all who sail in her of Scotland's great shipbuilding history."