He was a self-taught artist who took up the hobby after his wife's death in 1922. I find his paintings really charming, they are very naive in style and have a simple appearance.
Wallis painting in his cottage
Despite their childish aesthetic, they were often based on his own experiences and memories from his time at sea which gives them a genuine quality to me.
"what use To Bee out of my memory what we may never see again..."
Similarly to other 'folk artists', he improvised with his materials - having little money meant he had to be resourceful. Painting on cardboard scraps ripped from packaging and using paints bought from ship supply dealers.
What I like about his work is that it wasn't about accuracy, perspective, scale -- or anything else to do with technical skill, it was about depicting what was familiar and part of his life because he wanted to.
left: The Hold House, Port Mear Square, Island Port Mear Beach, 1932
right: St. Ives, 1928
Two Boats
drawing of a boat on a cigarette box
No comments:
Post a Comment