An original painting by Glyn Macey, a well-known Cornish artist depicting the little wooden boat sailed by Pete Goss to Australia, is being auctioned to raise funds for a local charity, Cornwall Playing for Success.

Spirit of Mystery online auction of original artwork 

Adventurer Pete Goss and his intrepid crew sailed to Melbourne earlier this year on Spirit of Mystery, a 37-foot long Mounts Bay lugger that he built himself. The exciting voyage shone a spotlight on the bravery of seven Cornishmen who made the same perilous journey 154 years ago aboard the smallest migrant vessel ever to make it to Australia.

The painting of the vessel in full sail, entitled Spirit of Mystery, has been finished in acrylic on canvas and will be sold to help improve the lives and education of children in Cornwall. Glyn has agreed to sell the original painting, signed by the artist and Pete Goss, in aid of Cornwall Playing for Success – the charity of which Pete is a founding trustee.

The painting measures 30 x 40 inches (approximately 75 x 100 centimetres) and is listed on eBay in a seven-day auction that began yesterday (Monday 15th June). All the proceeds will go to Cornwall Playing for Success. Since returning from Australia earlier this year, Pete has raised an additional £5,000 for the charity with fundraising activities including talks about his adventures at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Glyn was born in Newlyn, the birthplace of the original Mystery which set sail from the Cornish port in 1854 carrying those brave Cornishmen who were seeking out a new life in the Victorian gold fields.

Glyn Macey said: “Cornwall not only has inspirational land and seascapes, it also has a history of inspirational people whose influence has spread around the world. The original voyage of the Mystery has inspired people through the generations and now Pete Goss has inspired a new generation by following in their wake. It was a pleasure and privilege to paint Spirit of Mystery.”

Pete Goss said: “The picture is absolutely fantastic. I think few artists can truly capture the spirit of the sea but Glyn has. He has it in his hands as that is how he paints – with his hands. It is great that a Cornish artist has put himself out for Cornish schoolchildren who will benefit through his generosity.”

Cornwall Playing for Success (CPfS) is an out-of-school-hours initiative set up to raise literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in children who have unrealised potential, using sport to improve young people’s attitudes to learning and motivation in school. They often don’t quite connect with school, leaving them feeling disaffected and demoralised.

CPfS uses sport to bridge that gap with dramatic results, as Pete explains: “On a ten week out-of-school-hours programme, the students improve their literacy and numeracy scores by 17 and 24 months in primary and secondary schools respectively. However, the real ‘fairy dust’ is self-esteem, which is carried back to school with long-term results.”

A limited run of 500 prints (34cm by 39cm) of the picture, signed by the artist and Pete Goss, are also available through www.petegoss.com priced at £45 each.