September 28, 2022

Finest Hour 194, Fourth Quarter 2021

Page 05

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Coming in Finest Hour 195: Churchill’s Scientific World

Painting as a Pastime

“Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end, or almost to the end, of the day.”
— Winston S. Churchill

To Sir John Lavery

LONDON—[29 January 1923] I have not made much headway in painting and should greatly have valued the stimulus of your presence and example [while in the south of France]. My pictures take me much longer now, and I have been four or five days trying to do some pretty reflections of bright coloured ships in the clear water of the harbour. I should like to have seen you splash them on.
— Winston S. Churchill

To Walter Sickert

CHARTWELL—[20 September 1927] I am deeply interested in all you have shown me, and am anxious to have a further conclave. Clemmie has been ordered abroad for rest, and leaves for Venice on Friday. I wonder whether there would be any chance of your coming for the week-end? I would have several camaïeus [a method of painting in only a single color—ed.] in various stages of preparation for your inspection, and you could then show me how the colouring stage proceeds. This, you will remember, was only very lightly touched on in our discussion. The studio will be in strong working order, and strong, permanent easels and immovable tables will be available instead of the gimcrack structure on which you found me working.
— Winston S. Churchill

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To Clementine Churchill

CHARTWELL—[26 September 1927] Sickert arrived on Friday and we worked very hard at various paintings and had many discussions. I am really thrilled by the field he is opening to me. I see my way to paint far better pictures than I ever thought possible before. He is really giving me a new lease of life as a painter.

— Winston