Winston Churchill

ASCENDANCY
ASCENDANCY
CHARTWELL
"PAINTING AS A PASTIME"
The Churchills bought their commodius home, near Westerham,
Kent, in 1922. Chartwell became the bustling work center for
WSC when he was out of power in the Thirties. He wrote a number
of books, painted ceaselessly, built several brick walls, a
swimming pool and part of two cottages on his grounds
...was the title of a two-part essay Churchill published in
the Strand magazine in 1921-22. Ten years later he restated
his philosophy in a larger work, "Amid These Storms." His
original essay was later excerpted and published independently
with photographs of several of his paintings. Eventually he
was given the title of Honorary Academician Extraordinary
by the Royal Academy, where he exhibited beginning in 1947.
A set of
views of
Chartwell
Originally WSC
exhibited at
the Academy
under the name
of Mr. Winter.
When the secret
was out, he
began using his
own name.
93
95
He was most
generous in
giving paintings
away as gifts
and disclaimed
a professional
status.
Strolling
by one of
Chartwell'
ponds
It is believed
that this
prolific
and good artist
painted 518
pictures during
his lifetime.
ASCENDANCY
ASCENDANCY
THE JOY OF PAINTING
But most of all, Churchill painted. He had taken up the hobby in
1915, after being forced from the Admiralty, and once interested
he attached each canvas with his customary vigor. He had turned
out over 500 paintings before he died, most of them in oil, and
few portraits. "A tree," he said, "doesn't complain if I don't
do it Justice."
ATTACKING THE CANVAS
"I write no word in disparagement of water colours, but there
is really nothing like oils. You have a medium at your disposal
which offers real power, if you can only find out how to use it.
You can correct mistakes more easily. One sweep of the palette
knife lifts the blood and tears of a morning from a canvas and
enables a fresh start to be made..."
94
Churchill's
style was
c ompared to
that of
Cezanne; none
other than
Pablo Picasso
said he could
be a great
artist if he
applied himself
to it
fully. But
to WSC it
remained only
a pastime.
96
Churchill
painted between
important
conferences,
during lunch,
whenever he
could find the
time. One long
exception was
World War II,
when he painted
only one picture,
and that
a gift for a
colleague.
Exhibiting in
Paris in 1920
under the name
Charles Moren,
WSC sold four
watercolors
for $200 each.
He couldn't
have been badi
If his time at
a site would
be limited he
would have a
photograph
taken, sketch
in the main
details, and
complete the
work later in
his studio.
23