richard foster ‘still at it’
Monday 3 June – Saturday 8 June 2013 10am-6pm daily
the gallery
28 Cork Street, London w1s 3ng Telephone 020 7244 7164 info@richardfoster.co.uk The entire exhibition can be seen online www.richardfoster.co.uk
richard foster ‘still at it’
the gallery in cork street
93 Iguanas watercolour, 10 Ă— 14
Iguanas have to warm up in the sun before they can get going. The water is cold in the Galapagos and they must not stay in too long.
‘STILL AT IT’ I am most grateful to HRH The Prince of Wales for writing the foreword to this exhibition and also for lending one of the pictures done in the Galapagos. In 2009 Their Royal Highnesses most generously took me on their official visit to South America. It was a most enjoyable and memorable eleven days. In this exhibition there are portraits and figurative pictures, landscapes done all over the place, and anything else which has taken my fancy. In the words of Somerset Maughan, ‘The only reason for me to write is that I should enjoy writing’. Ditto painting. The Nativity is the largest picture in the exhibition and the one which has taken the most time. I feel that it is a bit of an achievement having finally finished it after a forty year gestation period, and that as a result I can promote the virtues of ‘sticking at it’. If you have a plan and keep plugging on, you get there in the end! After leaving school, the impressionable youth went to study in Florence. He came back from his travels an italianised budding artist, and seeing the blocked window in East Lexham church, decided that it was the ideal place for an altar piece. In 1972 he measured up the space, but religion was a tricky subject, and nothing much happened. There were some preparatory efforts in the Eighties, but a visit in 2004 to a family in Austria was the spur for starting in earnest. The owner of the Castle of Holleneg had just done up the chapel at his own expense. Time to get cracking! Painting the picture has spanned the last eight winters. It was only possible to black out the studio during the long winter evenings; and anyway, no one wants to dress up in these clothes during the summer. The first three winters were spent doing a sketch on a 70 × 40 inch canvas.
The final larger canvas was then started with various changes, in particular adjusting the placing of the figures. By good fortune all the models were able to pose for the second canvas. The extra years made no difference to anyone other than to the Virgin Mary, who needed to be as young as possible. Camilla GrahamWood was much more of a child in the first version, but there was nothing to be done about the more mature woman! The other people are the painter Tony Oakshett as Joseph, Luca as the Kneeling Shepherd, Tvet on the right, and Cassia as a Flying Angel. The background was painted from studies made in Norfolk, the roof from one shed, and the wall from another. It is supposed to tie the picture into the locality. These old sheds are rapidly vanishing and I was lucky to have some available. However the whole picture, including the figures, was painted in London. The Flying Angel was a problem and was done partly from a dummy, and partly from a model jacked-up on several tables, one on top of the other. The clothes were done on a dummy hanging from the ceiling and with a fan underneath to stop the clothes flopping down. Appropriately for a religious picture, the two sacks came from Damascus, and having been full of spices, gave off an excellent ‘profumo’. There were lots of sacks in Syria, but I don’t know where you would find them in this country anymore. A Gloucestershire wood pigeon provided the wings for the angel. The next stage is to stick the canvas down on a large wooden panel, and then to install it in the church sometime around Christmas this year. This type of picture is not something that people go in for these days, definitely not PC , but a real achievement none the less.
British Firemen at the Prince of Wales Country Club, Santiago de Chile
Amazonian Chief and his Wife
The other big ‘creation’ is the group in the studio. This is the third group done at Clareville Grove. The figures were painted in the following order. Belle for the back view (I never saw her front), James Graham, R.F., Alexandra Gibbs and Rebecca Coffee. These things are never quite finished and there may well be changes. I am thinking of adding Tim Scott-Bolton sometime. There is a cross-section of portraits and groups. Situations are different every time and one has to try to make best use of the possibilities. The great thing is to keep doing as many different types and sizes of picture as possible. Every so often I think of concentrating on the portraits and doing nothing else; but they are seasonal, it is often difficult to get sittings, and anyway, one needs a break. Over the last four and half years there have been painting trips to lots of places, but all different. The real salesman would concentrate on one or two places, but how much livelier all mixed up! The trips were in the following order, South America, Venice, Cuba, Turkey, India and Egypt. South America with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall was a big event. We started in Chile, possibly the most anglophile of the countries, and then flew to Brazilia, followed by Manaus and Amazona, ending with Rio and the ‘favelas’. We then had a quick but very worth while stop in Quito before reaching the Galapagos, the highlight of the trip. Seymour Island is a treasure trove of wildlife which I nearly missed. In the scrum on the jetty I failed to get on the boat, but fortunately an energetic 27-year-old girl took control, summoned the Coast Guard, and in a mountain of spray, we managed to catch up. Quite a lot of petrol just for me! Venice was in the autumn of 2009, when Julian Barrow had taken a flat for a
week in the Palazzo Decazes. Serena only wanted to come for two or three nights, and so I had the benefit of the other five. 2010 was Cuba. Julian came for about eleven days, and Charles Church and I stayed on for another four days. When staying in a bed and breakfast at Rimedios, I was much amused by the handsome full-bodied señora taking a shine to ‘Sharlee’! Turkey was in the autumn of 2011 and was meant to be the start of a concentrated effort, but events conspired against it. I was planning to go to Eastern Turkey, but tried to fit in with other people and went to Western Turkey instead. A big mistake! Nothing worked out, and then it rained and I had to come home early. There was no time the following autumn and Turkey is not much good for a painter during the rest of the year. The most recent trip was this spring to Upper Egypt. Some brand new, hot off the press pictures seemed a good idea. I am very grateful to Charlie Church for the excellent photograph that he took. This is the fourth catalogue of its kind and eventually, when they are all put together, they will form a virtual book. There are still more to come! Much better in dribs and drabs than in one heavy tome which quickly gets out of date and forgotten. Finally, I would like to thank all those who have helped in all sorts of ways, frequently with little recognition, and particularly everyone who has lent pictures. The above is a bit ponderous compared to the levity of Andrew Barrow’s outstanding 1999 introduction. No mention of the meaning of art, ‘the real thing’, resonating, being moved, liquid paint, sheer loveliness, and all that this time. Anyway, I hope that you are moved occasionally and find some of the pictures lovely.
Painting Hari Ram Bapha
126 Hari Ram Bapha, Jaisalmer
catalogue All measurements in inches, height before width
6 Battersea Church oil, 24 × 36
This is my third picture from this spot, the other two were in the evening ten and twenty years ago. The Chelsea bank is much as always, but only the church remains on this side, with Montevetro on the site of the Silver Belle Flour Mill. 13 Kinnairdy in the Snow oil, 10 × 14
Ancient Innes strong-hold. Every winter I hope for snow as it is always paintable, sunny or cloudy. No luck for the last two years.
15 Mrs Ann Gloag oil, 50 × 30
Done at Kinfauns Castle, Perth, a magnificent castle built in 1827. She ‘won’ me at the National Trust for Scotland Gala Auction this summer.
23 Admiralty Arch watercolour, 7 × 10
25 Covent Garden tempera, 7 × 10
19 Buckingham Palace
20 Palace of Westminster
watercolour, 7 × 10
watercolour, 10 × 14
22 Blackfriars oil, 24 × 36
This is the fourth and largest version of the view. Considerable changes happened between the first view and this one, and there are even greater changes since with a new station on top. 31 Gina’s Shop watercolour, 7 × 10
This is my daughter’s first shop. She is building a brand.
33 Studio Capriccio oil, 56 × 43
This is the third interior at Clareville Grove. I could not resist doing another one. The easy part is painting the professional model, the problem is getting friends to sit. Belle had a lovely back, I never saw her front.
37 Hamish Leslie-Melville Esq.
51 Flowers, Colkirk
oil, 18 × 14
oil, 28 × 36
I liked the tartan jacket. This picture has led on to several more, including the one below.
I did a very successful flower picture in the Seventies and have tried again occasionally, but they are deceptively difficult to do.
52 Norfolk Studio oil, 28 × 36
Done over many years, the two cooks first and then the Stanton family this year. Unfinished at time of going to press.
29 Earl De La Warr oil, 18 × 14
Not allowed to embellish it with hands, simplicity is best.
60 Church Towers, Trujillo watercolour, 7 × 10
I went to Katherine Garton’s wedding and stayed on for a few days longer.
71 Palazzo Decazes watercolour, 7 × 10
Julian Barrow painted the Decazes in the Seventies and had kept up. We have stayed several times in the flat and once in the State Rooms themselves. Julian and Serena had Mr Bestegui’s grand bed, I was on a camp bed.
66 Richard Drax Esq. MP oil, 28 × 36
Done at Almer Manor and now hanging at Charborough. Note the clean lustrous paint which took a lot of effort! I made a special one day visit to paint only the pattern on the arm of the sofa, probably for the third or fourth time.
72 Fish Market, Venice watercolour, 7 × 10
79 Pergamum watercolour, 10 × 14
This was started in the sun and it clouded over. It rained continuously after that and I had to cut short this trip.
85 Oric Cooking watercolour, 7 × 10
Oric Basirov has had a house at Datça since being on an archeological dig at Knidos some years ago.
86 Michael Galsworthy Esq. oil, 30 × 25
Done at Trewithen, Cornwall. You often get a better result working in other people’s houses. The travelling can be time consuming, but the compensation is that you get stuck in and maybe do a better job.
96 TRH The Prince of Wales & The Duchess of Cornwall on Seymour Island, Galapagos watercolour, 10 × 14
It looks like a desert island, but there was quite a crowd on this side.
100 A Red Field, Cuba watercolour, 7 × 10
95 Manaus Theatre, Brazil watercolour, 14 × 10
103 Guitarist, Havana watercolour, 7 × 10
The theatre was shipped out from Paris during the rubber boom in about 1890. The evening entertainment was just up my street, short operatic highlights, nothing too taxing, The Duchess of Cornwall can just be seen to the left and The Prince of Wales to the right.
101 Street, Trinidad watercolour, 8 × 11
112 Nicholas Hills Esq. watercolour, 14 × 20
The architect in his house at Tittleshall. He has done excellent work at Holkham, Colkirk and other places.
113 Edward watercolour, 14 × 10
102 Panorama, Viñales watercolour, 7 × 10
Edward and my other children have been painted at most stages, often under protest, but they are now pleased to have been ‘done’.
43 The Hut, Glennie watercolour, 7 × 10
Done early one May morning. Difficult to do a better one and unfortunately the hut is now a darker green.
48 Tombs, Marnoch watercolour, 10 × 14
The two best of a group of memorials. The one on the right is to Bishop Meldrum, the one on the left to the Innes family who still live round here.
53 The House Pool, Glennie
40 Calton Hill, Westwards watercolour, 7 × 10
watercolour, 10 × 14
The Deveron at Glennie, Sassy on the right.
The centre of Edinburgh takes a bit of beating.
120 Lodhi Gardens watercolour, 7 × 10
Saved in the 1930s by Lady Willingdon who bought up the surrounding land and villages. Lord Willingdon, Viceroy of India, was a thin small man, Lady Willingdon, born a Brassey, was big and bossy according to my father. As a young man he was told to entertain them and go and play golf on the Yorkshire coast. The chauffeur said it was too foggy but Lady Willingdon was not so easily put off. It was too foggy!
42 Standing Stones, Rothiemay watercolour, 7 × 10
118 Jack and Imogen Galsworthy oil, 30 × 25
39 Royal Scottish Academy watercolour, 7 × 10
This is the third picture I have done for the Galsworthy family. The first one was of the three elder children in 2002 and this one of the younger children has the same coloured background.
134 Ken Howard at Kissingar watercolour, 10 × 7
Ken Howard and Patrick Cullen had been in residence over a week. Peter Brown had just left. A very nice unspoilt city with few tourists.
124 Golden Temple, Amritsar watercolour, 10 × 14
125 Francis Curzon oil, 36 × 28
Painted at Kedleston in the hallway below where I painted his grandfather in 1985. Always daunting going back.
My first visit to Amritsar and one of the highlights of the trip to India last year. It was extremely impressive to see all the Sikhs washing and praying, and the mass communal feeding. Some gave donations, but in theory the meals were free, with everyone helping with the cooking and washing up. The sound of the tin trays being washed reached several decibels. Sassy chopped the vegetables. The ceremony every night closing the border with Pakistan was amusing theatre.
129 Camels Standing, Jaisalmer watercolour, 7 × 10
I had planned going on a camel safari for a night or two but got cold feet and made do with the ones near the town.
128 The Nativity oil, 112 × 60
110 Chattri beside the Taj watercolour, 10 × 14
There is a long description in the introduction. I feel it’s a bit of a status symbol to have done a Nativity! Not easily done and requiring considerable time, effort and thought. It would be quicker a second time.
138 Cooking, Amritsar watercolour, 10 × 14
133 The Cardozo Children oil, 36 × 24
140 The Court of Rameses II, Luxor, Eastwards watercolour, 10 × 14
It was painted to fit the space between the bookshelves behind. Knowing where the picture is to hang makes it much easier to set it all up.
144 The Cataract Hotel, Aswan watercolour, 7 × 10
146 Kom Ombo watercolour, 7 × 10
145 The Carington Family oil, 28 × 36
148 Karnak watercolour, 7 × 10
Done in the summer holidays when there was a window of opportunity. The oak post is part of a screen from the ancient hall dwelling.
picture list All measurements are in inches, height before width
1 Crommey Castle oil, 8 × 12 2 Sloane Gardens oil, 14 × 10 3 Timoleague, County Cork oil, 8 × 12 4 Chelsea Reach oil, 10 × 14 5 Blackfriars Bridge oil, 14 × 18 6 Battersea Church oil, 24 × 36 7 Raynham in the snow oil, 8 × 12 8 Raynham Bottom oil, 6 × 8 9 Wells next the Sea oil, 10 × 14 10 Burnham Overy Staithe oil, 7 × 10 11 Houghton Horse Trials watercolour, 7 × 10 12 Swaffham Market oil, 10 × 14 13 Kinnairdy in the snow oil, 10 × 14 14 Clareville Grove in the snow oil, 16 × 12
15 Mrs Ann Gloag oil, 50 × 30
31 Gina’s Shop watercolour, 7 × 10
46 Kitchen Top, Cefalu oil, 10 × 14
62 Plaza Major, Madrid watercolour, 7 × 10
78 Ephesus Library watercolour, 10 × 14
94 Cows, Cuba watercolour, 7 × 10
109 The Taj, early morning watercolour, 12 × 21
125 Francis Curzon oil, 36 × 24
16 Covent Garden oil, 10 × 14
32 Westminster Abbey West Side watercolour, 10 × 7
47 Trees Glennie watercolour, 7 × 10
63 Squero, Venice oil, 10 × 14
79 Pergamum watercolour, 10 × 14
95 Manaus Theatre, Brazil watercolour, 14 × 10
110 Chatri beside the Taj watercolour, 10 × 14
126 Hari Ram Bapha, Jaisalmer watercolour, 7 × 10
141 Edfu watercolour, 7 × 10
48 Tombs, Marnoch watercolour, 10 × 14
64 Gondoliers oil, 10 × 14
80 Miletus watercolour, 10 × 14
111 Jodhpur watercolour, 13 × 20
127 Nagaur watercolour, 10 × 14
142 Sitting camels, Aswan watercolour, 7 × 10
49 Greenhouse, Glennie watercolour, 10 × 14
65 Battersea Power Station oil, 20 × 30
81 Back of Oric’s House watercolour, 7 × 10
96 TRH The Prince of Wales & The Duchess of Cornwall on Seymour Island, Galapagos watercolour, 10 × 14
128 The Nativity oil, 112 × 60
143 Standing camels, Aswan watercolour, 7 × 10
50 Spring Flowers oil, 12 × 16
66 Richard Drax Esq MP oil, 28 × 36
82 The Oracle, Didyma watercolour, 7 × 10
51 Flowers, Colkirk oil, 28 × 36
67 Palazzo Decazes oil, 10 × 14
83 Hamam, Ephesus watercolour, 7 × 10
98 O’Higgins Memorial, Santiago watercolour, 10 × 14
114 Top of the Fort, Nagaur watercolour, 7 × 10
129 Camels Standing, Jaisalmer watercolour, 7 × 10
144 The Cataract Hotel, Aswan watercolour, 10 × 7
52 Norfolk Studio oil, 28 × 36
68 Piazza S. Marco watercolour, 14 × 20
84 Oric in his Hammock watercolour, 7 × 10
99 Cottage, Viñales, Cuba watercolour, 7 × 10
115 Cooking, Amritsar watercolour, 7 × 10
130 Jaisalmer Gate watercolour, 10 × 14
145 The Carington Family oil, 28 × 36
53 The House Pool, Glennie watercolour, 10 × 14
69 Gondolier Stand oil, 6 × 9
85 Oric Cooking watercolour, 7 × 10
100 A Red Field, Cuba watercolour, 7 × 10
116 Jodhpur Fort, evening watercolour, 7 × 10
131 Dome behind the Taj, Agra watercolour, 7 × 10
146 Kom Ombo watercolour, 7 × 10
17 Westminster, evening oil, 10 × 16 18 Horse Guards watercolour, 7 × 10 19 Buckingham Palace watercolour, 7 × 10 20 Palace of Westminster watercolour, 10 × 14 21 Covent Garden watercolour, 14 × 21 22 Blackfriars oil, 24 × 36 23 Admiralty Arch watercolour, 7 × 10 24 Stratton Street watercolour, 7 × 10 25 Covent Garden tempera, 7 × 10 26 Westminster Station watercolour, 7 × 10
33 Studio Capriccio oil, 56 × 43 34 King’s Road Gouache, 11 × 8 35 St James’s Park Fountain watercolour, 7 × 10 36 Shepherd’s Market Gouache, 11 × 8 37 Hamish Leslie Melville Esq. oil, 18 × 14 38 Calton Hill from the bridge watercolour, 6 × 10 39 Royal Scottish Academy watercolour, 7 × 10 40 Calton Hill, Westwards watercolour, 7 × 10 41 Large Calton Hill watercolour, 10 × 14
54 Changing Flies, Glennie watercolour, 10 × 14 55 Eriskay watercolour, 7 × 10
70 S. Giorgio oil, 8 × 6 71 Palazzo Decazes watercolour, 7 × 10
86 Michael Galsworthy Esq. oil, 30 × 25 87 Miletus, Small Temple watercolour, 7 × 10
97 Cottage, Galapagos watercolour, 7 × 10
101 Street, Trinidad watercolour, 8 × 11 102 Panorama, Viñales watercolour, 7 × 10
56 The Castle, South Uist watercolour, 7 × 10
72 Fish Market, Venice watercolour, 7 × 10
88 Miletus Theatre watercolour, 7 × 10
103 Guitarist, Havana watercolour, 7 × 10
57 Old Cottage, Eriskay watercolour, 7 × 10
73 The Salute oil, 14 × 10
89 Didyma Dawn watercolour, 7 × 10
104 House front, Havana watercolour, 12 × 8
112 Nicholas Hills Esq. watercolour, 14 × 20 113 Edward watercolour, 14 × 10
117 Kissingar, Lakeside watercolour, 7 × 10 118 Jack and Imogen Galsworthy oil, 30 × 25 119 Jodhpur Fort, morning watercolour, 7 × 10 120 Lodhi Gardens watercolour, 7 × 10
27 Trafalgar Square Fountain oil, 8 × 10
42 Standing Stones, Rothiemay watercolour, 7 × 10
58 Ludag, South Uist watercolour, 7 × 10
74 The Redentore watercolour, 7 × 10
90 Pony Bus watercolour, 7 × 10
105 Charles Church, Havana watercolour, 9 × 8
28 Carlyle Square oil, 12 × 18
43 The Hut, Glennie watercolour, 7 × 10
59 Buen Retiro, Madrid watercolour, 7 × 10
75 Small Salute oil, 10 × 8
91 Turkish Village watercolour, 7 × 10
106 Street Corner, Trinidad watercolour, 7 × 10
29 Earl De La Warr oil, 18 × 14
44 Marnoch Old Church watercolour, 7 × 10
60 Church Towers, Trujillo watercolour, 7 × 10
76 Zattere oil, 12 × 8
92 Boats, Galapagos watercolour, 7 × 10
107 Band, striped jacket, Havana watercolour, 7 × 10
123 Kissingar Fort watercolour, 7 × 10
30 Oriel Gouache, 10 × 7
45 Sand End watercolour, 7 × 10
61 Ibiza Farm watercolour, 10 × 7
77 Didyma watercolour, 10 × 14
93 Iguanas watercolour, 10 × 14
108 Tents, Agra watercolour, 10 × 14
124 Golden Temple, Amritsar watercolour, 10 × 14
121 Jama Masjid, Delhi watercolour, 7 × 10 122 Shop Kissingar watercolour, 7 × 10
132 Jaisalmer Fort, morning watercolour, 7 × 10 133 The Cardozo Children oil, 36 × 28
140 The Court of Rameses II, Luxor, Eastwards watercolour, 10 × 14
147 Camel Fair near Kom Ombo watercolour, 10 × 14 148 Karnak watercolour, 7 × 10
134 Ken Howard at Kissingar watercolour, 10 × 7
149 Feluccas, Elephantine Island watercolour, 7 × 10
135 Camels Sitting, Jaisalmer watercolour, 7 × 10
150 Rameseum watercolour, 7 × 10
136 Lodhi Gardens with palms watercolour, 7 × 10
151 The Court of Rameses II, Luxor, Southwards watercolour, 10 × 14
137 Amritsar Temple watercolour, 14 × 20 138 Cooking, Amritsar watercolour, 10 × 14 139 Pylons, Luxor watercolour, 7 × 10
152 Trajan’s Kiosk, Philae Temple watercolour, 7 × 10 153 Unfinished Obelisk watercolour, 10 × 7 154 Banana Palm watercolour, 14 × 10
curriculum vitae
Richard Foster was brought up mostly in Norfolk, but later partially in Scotland. He was educated at Harrow School, Studio Simi in Florence, Trinity College, Oxford, Studio Simi again, and the City and Guilds of London. He has always been based in London, but also has a house in Norfolk. Just over three years ago, he inherited a house in Aberdeenshire and is now spending some of his free time there. Richard Foster is a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, former Vice President and Hon. Treasurer, and exhibits there every year. He also exhibits at the Royal Academy most years, plus various mixed exhibitions. He has a one man exhibition roughly every four years and this is his eleventh. He has done commissions for The Royal Collection, The Prince of Wales, The National Portrait Gallery, National Trust, Oxford and Cambridge Colleges, Eton College and Harrow School, and many others. He has also worked abroad in many countries. Last year he reached his twentieth portrait commission in Italy. He was born at 10 Southwick Place, Paddington, on the 6th June 1945, and shares a birthday with Velazquez.
Gina Foster, the well-known Milliner, is his daughter and will be showing a selection of her hats. Her shop is at 5 Kensington Church Walk, Kensington w8 4nb. Telephone 020 7937 7611 www.ginafoster.co.uk
front cover Cat. no. 22 Blackfriars Bridge (detail)
back cover Cat. no. 128 The Nativity
page 1 Cat. no. 154 Banana Palm
pages 2–3 Photograph of the painter in Egypt, February 2013, taken by Charles Church Copyright Š Richard Foster 2013 Paintings photographed for reproduction by Prudence Cuming Associates, Hugh Gilbert and RF Designed by Tim Harvey Printed by F & G Associates