"Have Palette, Will Travel"
50 years of Landscape Painting by Terry Scales
Valley in Shoreham, Kent
In 1939 when I was seven years old I was sent as part of the early evacuations of London children from Bermondsey to Brighton. There I spent many happy months and wrote about my experiences to my father including a sketch of Brighton clock tower, an important local landmark. He wrote back to say he was baffled by my letter since it was heavily censured and the sketch of the clock tower had been removed with a warning not to include such material in the future. This delighted both my parents as it showed there must have been some merit in the sketch!
Terry at Brighton 1939
After this early 'phoney war' evacuation I returned to London but was sent away again to Devon shortly after. It was here during the war that my love for the countryside was kindled as I spent many happy days exploring and playing in the forests and coastline with my Devon friends.
Returning to industrial Bermondsey after the war was a rude shock but gaining a place in the Junior Department of Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts at age 13 changed my world. Stimulating tutors taught us to look not just at the 'beautiful places' but also the beauty to be found in working environments closer to home. Tutors Johnny Minton shared my love of painting the docks at Rotherhithe and backed up my feeling that the docks were a worthy subject while Martin Bloch extolled the virtues of the English and Welsh countryside and infused them with colour strongly influencing early paintings like Shad Thames.
Shad Thames (not in the exhibition)
A memorable experience at this time that I still cherish was due to the kindness and generosity of our tutor Michael Salaman inviting myself and 2 other students to stay at his Berkshire country cottage for a summer of landscape painting. Here I had an early lesson in the trials and tribulations of 'plein air' painting when while painting in a field I left to have lunch in the cottage and on return found my painting almost completely wiped off. Nearby stood a cow contentedly licking its lips. I was so furious I ran at the cow which then stampeded down the hill. I was terrified it might stumble and break a leg. I learnt later that they love the smell of linseed oil! The events unfolded something like this...
Before...
During...
After
Starting all over again (without cows!). Photo by Natalie Dower.
More posts on the trials and joys of landscape painting to follow!
Over the years I have taken the opportunity to sketch and paint whilst on holiday and though most of the earlier paintings of places further afield like Canada, Portugal and Bavaria are long sold during the last 40 years my real love of the landscape of the British Isles prevailed and in particular a special fondness for the Kentish landscape.
Throughout these landscape adventures I benefitted from the advice and criticism of my partner Cristiana Angelini (1937 - 2020), also a fine landscape artist. We shared many happy holidays together painting and I hope you enjoy reliving some of these memories with me.
Cristiana Angelini Terry Scales
Exhibition Details:
Title: “Have Palette, Will Travel”
Location: The Gallery Space – West
Greenwich Library
West Greenwich Library, 146 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN. Tel: 020 8858
4289
Dates: Monday 15th August -
Saturday 17th September 2022
Special dates: “Meet the
Artist” Saturday 27th August 2 –
4pm
Opening Times:
Monday 14:00 - 19:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:30
Wednesday - Closed
Thursday 09:00 - 19:00
Friday 14:00 - 17:30
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday - Closed
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