When I lived in London back in the second half of the 60's, I met lots of very interesting people. One of the most extraordinary was this man below, Lionel Burleigh.
I was at the opening night of an uninspiring exhibition on Cork Street in about '65, when a man sidled up to me and said "Just say I'm your Uncle". We went round the show together then visited a nearby Pub' for a few pints.
Lionel hardly stopped talking, and gave me an exhausting potted history of his life.
We stayed in touch, and he visited me at my antique shop in Chelsea on several occasions. Eventually he asked me if he could use my premises for a 'Painting Marathon'; he wanted to paint, and sell, as many pictures as possible in one day! I stupidly said 'yes'.
Lionel produced about 100 small paintings, and sold maybe two; for a few shillings. At the end of the day he gave me a handful, but they were such rubbish that I binned them.
We continued to meet for a while after that, then he disappeared and presumably found someone else to abide his eccentricities (or maybe he died).
I'm pleased that I knew him, and that we became good friends; such folk make life interesting.
I have just looked-up Lionel online, and found this (below). I was interested to see if it mentioned his marathon at my premises; but it didn't. (I wouldn't bother looking at it, unless you have masochistic tendencies). He was a dreadful painter.
23 comments:
The canvasses must have cost him more than he got for the paintings not to mention paint which isn't cheap.
When he did his marathon with me, he sold 2 'paintings' for about £1. The day's paint must have cost him £10. It was ALL rubbish.
A case of Quantity over quality.
And how! He was a hopeless painter.
How would you grade yourself, Cro? Assuming you were looking from the outside in.
U
There's something quite appealing about bold, swift and confident artwork when so many artists fiddle about for hours or days seeking some kind of perfection.
Interesting observation, YP. It's why one should observe children painting. They are in no rush. Neither do they have an agenda. Not [yet] self conscious. They don't "do"; they are - in the moment.
As to "perfection": Look no further than photo realism. Two people [male] in my inner circle charge by the hours it takes them to perfect by strokes what a smartphone will capture in a second. Don't get me wrong: I don't knock their efforts, their ambition. We see what we see, transcend. As long as the message doesn't get lost.
U
Average.
There's an expression in the art world 'A Good Hand'. It's a subtle difference between someone who knows what he's doing, and someone who doesn't. Trained painters can usually tell the difference.
Have you ever seen videos of Bob Ross painting? I would say that he had a "good hand".
Sadly, they're still much better than anything I could do.
BR's painting is almost 'by numbers'. He works to a system, simply to gain effect. No trained painter would say otherwise.
I very much doubt that.
Some of the strangest people I have known over the years, have made life the most fun.
Did he ever do any 'slow' painting??
He certainly was an interesting character. I loved the video with its '60s' narration
I agree with that 100%. I've known a few!
I never saw him being slow at anything. He was a non-stop person in everything he did.
Given his style and technique, you wonder how he made a living painting. He sounds like someone that lives on the edge. Interesting but not always sound.
He had NINE children and sent them all to Stage School. I think he lived off their earnings.
Do you think a good artist should be able to draw well - that is, irrespective of their personal style, they should be able to draw something that is realistic?
Yes. That's why we sit for years in front of 'life models', perfecting our trade!
My thoughts - reason I ask is I have an acquaintance who cannot “draw properly” but is vociferous in her defence that she is a true artist and her style is abstract - aka, to my untutored eye, daubs of paint
Well he certainly didn't hang about. Perhaps he hoped that his style and technique would one day be much sought after, so he was stocking up for the day! Who knows, his paintings might go for a mint on "Flog It" one day - however unlikely it seems now!
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