The first time I met Colin was in one of those Artist’s corners during an exhibition in autumn. The informal meeting was at a showing of another Artist, one who we all knew and admired, Dave Coulter. It was a warm evening and after I had completed my viewing of the official show and chats with guests about Dave's exhibition (“70 years in the making” ) at Cheshire Art Gallery, Bramhall, Cheshire. I joined a couple of the other artists in the corner they had made their own. One or two of them who I knew quite well. One of them introduced me to Colin. I was already aware of his work, but had never met him in person. It was an interesting experience.
As we sat outside, we all joked about who’s round it was to supply ‘the beers’ that was a joke because the Gallery had generously loaded the bar and all drinks were totally free. A younger painter of the group volunteered to go the bar whilst, we older ones, continued to chew the fat about all things connected with Art and it’s creation. During the conversation Colin’s view of his own Art and how it stood in the eyes of the contemporary gallery scene, sounded like almost a ‘fait accompli.’
This was in reference to his ‘plein air’ work, a genré or way of painting, which I had made some critic of over the years, not necessarily to deride plein air painting as such, but to question the validity of artists who continue to do nothing else but plein air. Which to my way of thinking always seemed to restrict an artist from creating or trying out other experimental studio painting.
My critic was aimed at not just ‘plein air’ painting per sé, but artists who continue to paint the same subject, the same way, seemingly forever and a day. As a painter I could never fully understand why they didn’t get bored of producing ‘images’ and not enjoy creating an Art which is exciting and new, even for themselves, let alone the viewer.
I decided there and then that at the turn of the year I would make an appointment to visit Colin on his home turf in Derbyshire and explore his bank of work first hand. He was obviously a gifted painter with a natural talent and intellectually a deep thinker about Art in general and painting in particular.
The train journey from Manchester to Derby seemed to take forever, which enabled me to clarify my thoughts about painting nature as a subject. It’s one every painter tackles and often leans back on when other artistic paths dry up, or have become staid.
Ta
