By any standard Helen Beatrix Potter born in 1866 was an amazing lady. She was born into a wealthy and privileged family in South Kensington. Her father was a solicitor but did not have to practise owing to his inherited wealth. Like many girls of her class she never went to school but who famously said ‘Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.’

Not only is she one of our best loved children’s authors and illustrators but she was a respected naturalist, an entrepreneur, an astute business woman, a farmer and a breeder of prize winning sheep as well as a conservationist whose early support fostered the foundations of our much respected National Trust.

In addition to her art and stories for children, we will explore her personal life, first beset by the tragedy of losing her first fiancée Norman Warne but ending in fulfilment with her husband of thirty years, William Heelis.

So, if you enjoy a good story, and who does not? – then invite me to share with your members the extraordinary and fascinating tale of Beatrix Potter told with my customary enthusiasm, warmth and humour.

A Lecture or part of a Day of Special Interest

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The riverbank adventures of Mole, Ratty, Badger and the incorrigible Mr Toad have now taken their place among the earliest memories of at least four generations of children.

The beauty of Kenneth Grahame’s prose is widely acknowledged but the story is so full of wonderful imagery that it almost demands to be illustrated – despite this, when first published in 1908 it was without pictures. The book has been in print ever since but what is less well known is that it has now been illustrated by more than ninety artists – making it the most widely illustrated book in the English language!

‘The Wind in the Willows’ is notable for its mixture of adventure, camaraderie, morality and mysticism. It is however a far more thought provoking and interesting book than its popular and often young audience might appreciate. It deserves recognition as a novel in which adult readers will find not just humour and entertainment but wisdom and meaning. Quite intriguingly, academics continue to argue as to whether it is a book for children or for adults – a theme I shall expand upon.

In this evocative presentation we will revisit the story through the eyes of famous children’s illustrators such as E H Shepard, Arthur Rackham, Robert Ingpen, Inga Moore and Val Biro among others. Where appropriate I will compare and contrast the same scene as depicted by different artists – a study known as ‘comparative illustration’.We will also explore how the story came to be written for Kenneth Grahame’s son Alastair and the interesting but ultimately tragic life of Kenneth Grahame.

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Your lecture about Children’s Book Illustrations was so enjoyable and it brought back so many happy memories for us. Numerous members have commented on the lecture being so well constructed and delivered with such warmth and humour. In addition, your use of PowerPoint was exemplary.
Programme Secretary, The Arts Society – North London

As adults we carry in our heads huge numbers of images from childhood, and some of those most deeply etched come from illustrations in books that we read as children. Images of ‘Tigger’ and ‘Toad’ or even ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ will probably remain with us for ever! In addition to a wide range of examples John will examine how illustrations contribute to the development of understanding and how the interaction of image and narrative creates such powerful memories.

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A story teller with a brush! A celebrated and prolific twentieth century painter and illustrator whose work has probably been seen by a larger audience than any other artist in History! In America his work enjoys broad popular appeal, where Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations he created for ‘The Saturday Evening Post.’ Today his work sells for millions of dollars.

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I was bowled over by the enthusiasm of our members for your lecture on Norman Rockwell and for the warm way you socialised with everyone. So thank-you and please know you were much appreciated. One member said you were the best lecturer in our 20+years. Programme Secretary, The Arts Society – Saltaire 

This lecture is devoted to an exploration of colour. It is built on the premise that our appreciation of colour and how we see it, is at the very core of our common interest in art and the arts.  Sometimes colour is referred to as ‘the secret influence’ as we are often unaware of how it significantly affects the choices we make every day. But what is colour? Do we all experience colour similarly? What is a colour scheme and why do some colours go well together and others not?

 

What is an illusion? Where do they come from? How and why do they deceive us? Some examples will surprise us, some will challenge us and some you will not believe!

We will then turn our attention to artists who over five hundred years have continued to hoodwink and delight us with their illusory paintings.

By engaging with illusions it encourages us to look more carefully and more critically at all that we choose to look at.

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John Lennon by Oleg Shuplyak

 

 

 

We live in an increasingly visual environment. Images are all round us, not just in art galleries and museums but from the media and the world in general. But how well and how accurately do we interpret our visual world? When we view an image we make two assumptions: first, that what we see is what others see and second that what we see is the way it is! Both of these assumptions can easily be shown to be wrong! In this lecture John explains how we can improve our perception and appreciation of what we choose to look at.

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Even a month after your visit members were still talking about this lecture and reiterating how fascinating and interesting it had been. Programme Secretary, The Arts Society – Bournemouth and East Dorset

 

Pubs and their signs are a fundamental part of our history and cultural heritage. In this colourful and entertaining lecture John shows some of the most interesting and distinctive signs before exploring the fascinating stories behind the origin of some of their peculiar names. Who could fail to be intrigued by ‘The Bucket of Blood’, the ‘Cow and Snuffers’ or even  the ‘Eager Poet’ – and who on earth was ‘Blind Jack’?

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In this popular talk John tells the extraordinary story of the Shakers of North America, exploring their beginnings, what they believed and how they lived their lives before examining examples of their wonderful buildings and furniture. For it is only with such an understanding of their devout faith and way of life that we can begin to appreciate their intriguing legacy.

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We had many enthusiastic comments from members as they left, they all appreciated the wonderful images, your lucid style of delivery as well as the breadth of information and insight into the Shaker movement. The Secretary, Westerham Fine Arts Society

In this lively presentation John shares his knowledge and enthusiasm for wine and the contribution that ‘wine art’ makes to our colourful world. Wine can be a civilising influence upon us and it is made to be shared and enjoyed. As a consequence there are numerous wonderful paintings of wine being made and wine being drunk in celebration but it also lends itself to wicked cartoons and striking posters. In addition we shall examine wine labels from around the world which now display such style and creativity.

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Over the last two decades antique corkscrews have become highly collectable with some reaching five figure sums at auction. In this light hearted lecture John presents the case for regarding corkscrews not just as being mere utilitarian tools but things of real beauty. In this well illustrated talk John shares his enthusiasm for corkscrews, tracing their history and development from the eighteenth century while demonstrating some of the more intriguing and bizarre mechanisms for extracting corks from bottles!

 

Who could deny that the drinking of wine and the collecting of antiques are among the most pleasurable of pursuits? As more and more people take an informed interest in wine there has been a corresponding increase in our enthusiasm for wine related accessories. As well as being functional many of these items are intrinsically beautiful such as drinking glasses, decanters, bottle tickets, bin labels and corkscrews – all of which have become increasingly valuable.

You well and truly made wine antiques a fascinating subject and I am sure we could all have been enthralled for much longer on corkscrews alone, but we also had glasses, decanters, bin labels and so much more in so many different materials and ages. It was a brilliant day! Thank you.  Study Day Coordinator, The Arts Society – South Devon