This artist, I discovered, died in January of this year, a week before his one hundredth birthday. There appears to be no announcement of his death at the time, although it must be probable that there was a local announcement where he lived in Sevenoaks, Kent, UK. ["A last chance to view the renowned artist’s watercolour paintings for the benefit of Barnardo’s, in accordance with his wishes. The exhibition will take place at St Julians Club, Underriver, Sevenoaks, TN15 0RX from Thursday 13th October to Thursday 24th November 2016. Open daily until late. Telephone 01732 458261 for more information."] This bracketed information was taken from the website of SAA - the Society for All Artists.
I find RSC's paintings symbolic of a deeply, and healthy, psycho-spiritual nature. But why is this so? I will try to answer my own question in the following way. RSC adhered to certain principles in his work. Firstly, keep to a limited palette. Often he used only three colours; raw sienna, light red and Winsor blue, for example. In English landscapes he rarely if ever used more than five or six colours. Secondly, keep detail to a minimum, and use only such detail as is necessary. For example, a picture of a dock would lose much if it failed to show some presence of human activity. Thirdly, paint with quick, clean washes to avoid muddiness, and to allow the paper to shine through.
This year has shown me the need to "let go" of a great deal in my life. Some material possessions were lost as a result of the house fire; others were deemed to be no longer of such value that they needed to be retained. It was not difficult to see what had been discarded, or what remained. In the case of inner "letting go", what I have dispensed with has been fairly obvious. What remains is far less so. Yet the inner search and questioning must go on. There are details that seem to be important, but which are not. There are ways of behaving, ways of dealing with situations, that must be corrected or eradicated altogether. The problem with clutter, and much of what is retained in life as important can be regarded as such, is that it tends to define us in a particular and inappropriate way.
Thus by stripping life of unnecessary detail, and reducing one's activities and interests to those which are genuinely important, and not of a pseudo-reality nature, allows one's inner life to shine through into one's consciousness. For this, RSC's paintings are for me so symbolic of right living.
I will close this script with a taster of his work. I believe he will long be remembered in the field of watercolour painting, and not a little missed as well.
Ray Campbell Smith 1916 - 2016
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteWithout wishing to give the idea I have any pretension to wisdom, I think your inclination to revisit the past in both thinking about past experiences and images is one shared by many given our reservoir of experiences advances with age.
I think it also true this goes hand in hand with the letting go of both physical items and sometimes even some cherished ideas. No doubt one can appreciate the uplifting work of the centenarian’s art in such a new light just as you have said.
Best wishes
Hi Lindsay; Unfortunately, all too often a delving into the past is only an excuse for visiting a mythical better time. I think that was behind some of the recent EU referendum. I believe such retrospection serves no, or little, purpose unless it is with a view to approaching closer to truth and reality.
DeleteI looked up more of RCS's paintings, and i must say, your watercolours seem to me to be quite similar in technique and emotional impact.
ReplyDeleterevisiting the past for melancholy reasons doesn't seem healthy, but for "decluttering" reasons and to learn more about oneself is an entirely different.
Hullo Agnieszka; Thank you for your comment on my painting style. I consider that high compliment. I do admire RSC's technique, but the point about emotional impact is welcome.
DeleteLiving in the past is such a dreary affair, in my opinion, and so often prevents one from enjoying the here and now with all its potential - the only reality we have.
Smith's sweater in the photo of him seems to be of the same color in his paintings. Perhaps a muted sensibility?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Bruce; I hadn't seen the connection until you mentioned it.
DeleteWhen we have learned everything to be learned from a thing, we let it go and keep the lesson. Toss it away like a banana peel. Try not to slip on it, though.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Zhoen! The trick is learning everything to be learned.
DeleteWonderful post,Tom. I too deeply feel the need to de-clutter, both in the outer sense, getting rid of stuff but, more importantly, in the inner world, clearing space for...who knows? Clearing for clarity, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteI don't know RSC's work, will look it up.
As so often, Natalie, our thoughts and experience are on a similar track. I really do love RCS's paintings, and therein lies a danger of trying to model one's own work on his. Being aware of that danger probably means I won't succumb.
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