LA MER – PAINTINGS INSPIRED BY THE SEA
I have a great respect for the sea, its constantly changing moods, endless movement and patterns, accompanied by skies peculiar to the moment.
I first discovered my fascination with art at junior school where I had the privilege to be taught by Robin & Lucienne Day (Furniture & Textile Designers). Since then, my whole life since has been structured on art and design.
In 1947, I was accepted by the Royal College of Art firstly to study graphics and finally graduating with a DesRCA in furniture design. Having been awarded a scholarship to specialise in lighting fitting design, I was employed by Troughton & Young, followed by Thorn Electrical Industries and Ferguson Radio & British Radio Corporation for the design of lighting, radios, TVs and audio products.
In 1967, I was asked to set-up a product design course at Wolverhampton College of Art, which became 1 of 4 broad-based BA(Hons) courses in 3D design specialising in Wood, Metal and Plastics. During this time, I was also Course Advisor & External Assessor at Sutton Coldfield and Bradford Colleges of Art. Having spent many happy years in education, I finally left to practise as a Design Consultant & Visualiser for clients including Estée Lauder.
In my retirement, I decided to paint. I joined a watercolour class where I was introduced to acrylics, a medium I now favour. As part of the class, I entered a national competition organised by the V&A which involved using exhibits within the museum as inspiration for artwork. I chose to study Chinese furniture decoration and Japanese samurai for pattern and colour and translated these into a painting of the Dawlish coast. To my delight, it was displayed in the V&A for 3 months. As a result, the influence of Japanese art continues to form the basis of my current work.
Since moving to Worthing 7 years ago, I have been truly inspired by its environment and emotive seascapes. It’s been both a challenge and a pleasure to try to convey the ambience and experience of our local attractions.
At nearly 91, I’m excited to say this is my first solo-show and I am very proud to be able to present these pieces within the Creative Hub at Colonnade House.
