Description

Original 1995 pencil drawing by famous artist Cecil Riley.

Cecil Riley Original drawing  of a Christmas scene for Christmas cards.  1st of a pair

Cecil Riley Pencil drawing was created in  The Studio of Cecil Riley (1917-2015), Cecil Riley was born in Tadcaster in 1917.

His father was a bank manager and his mother was an amateur artist, who specialised in flower studies, still life and decorated pottery.

His mother died in childbirth and from the age of 2 years he was brought up by his Aunt and at the age of 10 years his father committed suicide.

At the age of 14 years his Aunt died leaving Cecil to live alone.

First of all,his early schooling developed his interest in art and acting and the production of school plays.

In 1936 he won a place at the Slade School of Fine Art which he attended for 3 years gaining his diploma in 1935.

Slade Society with Cecil as its first President

He was popular with other students and formed the Slade Society with Cecil as its first President.

After Slade, he settled in the South of France but unfortunately war broke out and returned home.

Because of his strong Christian faith he became a conscientious objector

and took up duties with the Air Raid Precautions Anti Gas Squad in Oxford,

where he again attended the Slade which have moved from London to the Ashmolean Museum.

While attending here, he met Joan, his wife to be,

having spotted her as a stunning beauty sitting astride a donkey easel in the life drawing class.

During this time, Cecil taught as an Art Master at Warwick School

before moving to Richmond when the war ended.

With the responsibility of a family, Cecil returned to teaching,

a career he continued for many years principally at Raynes Park Grammar School for Boys (Wimbledon) from 1948.

Early years

Early years, primarily landscape, local views

Plants and other natural forms such as rocks, insects shells etc.

Surrealist compositions incorporating human figures, natural forms in abstracted interior, exterior settings .

Abstract compositions. Varying degrees of abstraction derived from the visible world.

Townscapes cityscapes and landscapes from places visited at home and abroad.

Religious subjects from the bible for example ‘the agony in the garden’,furthermore ‘the sermon on the mount’, ‘the annunciation’.

A series of paintings based on the story of Noah’s ark.

Paintings inspired by poetry e.g. Edward Lear’s ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ etc

Mature work, personal storytelling,

reference to the spirituality of other cultures.

Cecil Riley Pencil drawing

Finally a complex compositions using a combination of western and non-western perspective.

Highly detailed with much use of pattern and stylised forms reminiscent of eastern art. Heightened colour.

Calling on the early years experience of the theatre. • Across the bay series.

Studies made of the changing weather, the light effects, the colour of the view from the studio window

overlooking the sea at Marazion towards Penzance and beyond • The Macular Degeneration years.

Eyesight deteriorating over some time until almost blind. Did not stop painting.

Work became very bold with much use of heavy dark lines to carve out the compositions.

Simple powerful expressive responses to the visual world. • Mandala explorations.

Eyesight made seeing work in progress almost impossible.

Examples of a huge drive to keep going, keep communicating through the work.

Last and not least ,Customers can buy this original piece of art by famous artist Cecil Riley Pencil drawing in our webshop.

Highly collectable very valuable