Watercolours
Watercolour is a sophisticated medium. There is no room for mistakes. In his childhood it was the only form of paint that Dad had available. He really began to understand its qualities when he first saw Turner's work at Farnley Hall. After experimenting with it a bit he found that oil paint with its almost sculptural textures suited his form of expression best. So there are not so many examples of watercolour overall in his output.
From My Attic Window, 8 Mornington Villas, Bradford (1919)
watercolour on paper
For a 16-year old this is perhaps hardly exceptional stuff. But by now he was already beginning to experiment with oil paint and this picture shows his understanding of the main differences in the two mediums. It is suggestive and not explicit…. really it is only the telegraph poles which get detailed treatment and the chimney with its interesting shadow. This may have been painted as a sort of farewell to Bradford as the family moved shortly to Ilkley on account of his mother’s health.
Ship on Fire (1914)
watercolour on paper
Dad was 11 when he painted this. Certainly not a masterpiece in any sense, but there is more subtlety than might first appear. There is a gap between the sky and the sea and he chose quite different colours for them. The ship itself is just suggested by the smoke issuing from it (with various splodges of watery paint) but it is enough to be convincing. I love the waves which make me smile with their rhythm, and he has used a stronger blue to suggest the troughs between the waves.
Chesil Beach (c1984)
watercolour on paper - 27h × 32w (cm)
Devon Coast ([date unknown])
watercolour - 30.5h × 40.6w (cm)
Choppy Sea, Lepe ([date unknown])
watercolour - 29.8h × 38.1w (cm)
Farne Islands (1982)
watercolour on paper - 17h × 24w (cm)
Boats at Lepe (c1979)
watercolour on paper - 27.9h × 40.6w (cm)
Approaching Hail Storm (1978)
watercolour on paper - 27h × 36.5w (cm)
Rain Approaching Calf-of-Man (1978)
watercolour on paper - 27.3h × 36.8w (cm)
Solent (1978)
watercolour on paper - 21h × 37w (cm)
Container Ship (1978)
watercolour on paper - 27.5h × 36w (cm)
Grey Solent (1978)
watercolour on paper laid on board - 27h × 37w (cm)
Solent (1975)
watercolour on paper - 19h × 29w (cm)
Lepe (1975)
watercolour on paper - 19h × 29w (cm)
Seascape with Fort (1975)
watercolour on paper - 28h × 38w (cm)
Hurst Castle Lighthouse (1975)
watercolour on paper laid on board - 28h × 38w (cm)
Off Portsmouth (1942)
watercolour on paper - 21h × 35w (cm)
Weymouth (1933)
watercolour and pencil on paper - 26.5h × 19.5w (cm)
Lyme Regis (22nd Nov 1932)
watercolour on paper - 19h × 28w (cm)
Lyme Regis (1932)
watercolour on paper - 19.1h × 27.9w (cm)
Lyme Regis (1932)
watercolour on paper - 19.2h × 27.9w (cm)
The Beach, Lyme Regis (1932)
watercolour on paper - 17.8h × 27.9w (cm)
Lyme Regis (1932)
watercolour on paper - 13.1h × 27.9w (cm)
Lyme Regis (1932)
watercolour on paper - 19h × 28.5w (cm)
Wyke Regis (1932)
watercolour on paper - 19h × 27w (cm)
Man of War (1929)
watercolour and pencil on paper - 33.5h × 40.5w (cm)
Ship Decoration (c1929)
watercolour on paper
Young Girl (c1929)
watercolour on paper
Mother and Child (1928)
watercolour and pencil on paper - 36h × 25w (cm)
Under Sail (1924)
watercolour on paper - 21h × 27w (cm)
Boat in the Breakers (10th Apr 1923)
watercolour on card
Yorkshire (1923)
watercolour on board
Self Portrait, Gaslight (1923)
watercolour on paper
Marine (1923)
watercolour and pastels on card
Mountain Scene (1923)
watercolour on paper on board - 27h × 37.5w (cm)
Ingleborough (Yorkshire) (1923)
watercolour on paper - 13h × 24.5w (cm)
Weymouth (1923)
watercolor on paper - 17.8h × 25.4w (cm)
Storm, Moors (26th Dec 1922)
watercolour on paper - 20h × 26w (cm)
Early Morning (26th Dec 1922)
watercolour on paper - 20h × 26w (cm)
Lit Up Moors (1922)
watercolour on paper
Rain (1922)
watercolour on paper
Ilkley (1922)
watercolour on paper
Ilkley Quarry (1922)
watercolour on paper
Portland (1922)
watercolour on paper
Liberty Boat, Weymouth (1922)
watercolour on paper
Weymouth Bay (1922)
watercolour on paper
Ilkley Sunset (1922)
watercolour on paper
Storm (c1922)
watercolour on paper
Corfe Castle (c1922)
watercolour on paper - 18.5h × 24w (cm)
Valley of the Neisse River - Rohnau (1920)
watercolour on paper
Study of Butterflies, Feather and Beetle (1918)
watercolour and pencil on paper - 25.4h × 19.9w (cm)
Rabbit and Guinea Pigs (1918)
watercolour on paper
The Organ (1917)
watercolour and ink on paper
Wires and Tracks (1916)
watercolour on paper
Searchlights (1916)
watercolour and ink on paper
Searching for a Target (1916)
watercolour and ink on paper
Thatched Cottage and Fields (1915)
watercolour and pencil on paper
Sinking Ship and Survivors (1915)
watercolour and ink on paper
Sinking Ship in Flames (1915)
watercolour on paper
Battleship and Submarine (1915)
watercolour on paper - 9h × 12.5w (cm)
Zeppelin and Sinking Ship (1915)
watercolour and ink on paper
Eddystone Lighthouse (c1912)
watercolour and pencil on paper
Yacht (1910)
watercolour and pencil on paper
Man with Whiskers (c1910)
watercolour and pencil on paper
Sailing Boat with Figure in the Sea (c1909)
watercolour on paper