Diary extracts for Jul to September 1949
12th Jul 1949:
Offered 2 days a week and an evening teaching at Camberwell. £300 a year. Coldstream now Slade Professor at University College making room for him . . .
14th Jul 1949:
Mark Gertler Memorial Show at Whitechapel
So depressing: the horrible ochre walls, all peeling, which don’t show off the paintings at all well. Much of his best work not there but some beauties all the same. I couldn’t help feeling angered by the whole business.
20th Jul 1949:
Started painting 17x21 interior with birthday tea-table for the Show for Schools in September “A study in pinks and greys.” [The Birthday Tea Table (1949)]
21st Jul 1949:
Plans for studio enlargement have been passed.
20th Sep 1949:
To Kilburn (Yorkshire)
got further ideas for painting of ‘White Horse’. Some trees in the foreground, and paint it broadly on a large scale. Mostly grey but a bit flat like a wall painting.
20th Sep 1949:
Stayed 3 days with Constance Pearson at Gordale. [wife of his old teacher at Bradford Grammar]
21st Sep 1949:
To Gordale Scar, climbed up the first waterfall and made a couple of drawings. Rain came on but I managed to continue up under some overhanging rock.
Then I discovered the rain had made the limestone very slippery, and rubber-soled shoes were the worst kind to have. I didn’t fancy going down so started climbing up the screes, not being able to see how far I had to go, footholds almost negligible. Sketchbook and haversack also a liability under the circumstances. I really thought my last hour had come! but struggled on.
The view back was somewhat terrifying - was glad when I emerged safely and found my way back along the top. The view down the scar from there was quite frightening.
22nd Sep 1949:
Spent all day wandering over the top of Malham Cove making notes of the construction, and wondering how to paint it. Some wild goats there. Looking down into the Cove, had the most frightening sensation of being sucked in, and retreated at once.
23rd Sep 1949:
To Gordale Scar in the morning and made a drawing at the bottom looking up through the watercourse. A long upright panel might be made interesting. The limestone here has more weathering on it than elsewhere, a slight warmth and darker tone creeping in.