The Painted Letters of Percy Kelly Find!
I'm putting this up as a find on behalf of a fellow detective, Doreen.
After reading 'Hercules and the Farmer's Wife' by Chris Wadsworth, I came across another lovely book by her called 'The Painted Letters of Percy Kelly'. It tells the story of the life of one of the Cumbrian artists mentioned in her first book, Percy Kelly, largely through the letters he wrote to his friend and art collector, Joan David.
The correspondence between the two only started in 1983 and lasted until Percy's death in 1993, but the letters are full of his memories of family life in the twenties, his life in the services during the war, and his efforts to become a mature student in later years. More importantly you can not only read of his development as an artist but bear witness to his talent for yourself in the beautiful reproductions of his many illustrated letters to Joan. Even the envelopes are a work of art!
Although Percy moved from Cumbria in later life the landscape, seasons , weather, animal and plant life of the county are observed in wonderful in detail making this a true gem of a read!
18 September 2009 from Anne
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Hi Anne
I too am reading Hercules and the Farmers Wife by Chris Wadsworth and I felt very moved by her description of his life and also of a copy of by his paintings so much so that I felt compelled to look him up online. i will try to get hold of a copy of the painted letters.
Kathy
~ This is indeed a wonderful insight into the incredibly complicated life of Percy Kelly. I was a fellow student at Carlisle College of Art & Design in the 1960's, and was awarded a College Prize with Percy in 1966. He said in his book that his years at the Art College held him back, yet he went on to say he was massively productive. His style was very typical of work being produced at the time by brilliant tutors such as Roger Amstrong who left Carlisle School of Art to teach at The Blackpool School of Art. Ms Wadsworth unfortunately doesn't capture that spirit of the 1960's.. and being someone who profits from the output of artists, dare not mention that those of us in the Art world at that time saw Percy (Robert/Roberta) as being MORE than head and shoulders above his friends LS Lowery and Sheila Fell. Percy WAS a briliant draughtsman as the Head of Fine Art (Colin Allen) stated, whereas poor Sheila couldn't paint for tuppence (God rest her soul).. Sadly, his genius gave him a largely unhappy and troubled life..
I think its ridiculouis how whenever the media is involved nothing ever comes out right and it mostly is fabricated stories. But eh, that is what sells right? Its really too bad. On top of that why is it that Christians get the worst bashing when they are the people who try to hold some morals in this God forsaken country? Its a shame a crying shame. Why dont you just let him say what he has to say instead of telling stories, and if you want to know ask him. Maybe all of you are just jealous of what hes been blessed with.