JOHN WORLEY HUGILL

21/8/1920 - 27/12/2009

Oxmarket are pleased to be able to put on an exhibition of the works of John Hugill in the Wilson Gallery. To understand a little more of John’s life and works we asked one of his great friends and fellow artist David Buttons for his thoughts.

‘It was Pat , John’s wife, wish that there should be a celebration of John’s watercolours after her death. The Oxmarket Gallery had offered to create the exhibition which was a constant cause of pleasure and discussion when we met her over the years.

These watercolours in the exhibition represent the best of John’s work  carefully selected by Pat.

Rachel and I met John and Pat in the 1980s at the annual 3 Choirs Festival, both were musicians and this festival was one of their passions. When I retired in the late 1990s John was very supportive of my desire to turn the clock back and restart painting. He persuaded me, with little difficulty, to join him on a week’s painting course run by a member of the Wapping group, Paul Banning, in Wiltshire. Paul was an artist whom John enthusiastically followed and he had attended several  courses with him often in France. There is a Banning watercolour in this exhibition from John and Pats collection. John has absorbed some of Paul’s techniques into his style.

John’s studio was at home and unlike most artists, and I speak from experience - his studio was tidy and well planned. There were the usual easels and a plan chest where he kept all his sketches , paintings and materials. He was a very studious and careful pencil sketcher, and often his drawings are works of art and can standalone.

Watercolour was his chosen medium and he had a great ability to produce very realistic landscapes , buildings and flowers with fabulous colours. One of John’s paintings of a red Lotus with technicians working on it is now on show in the museum at Goodwood.

Painting was as important to John as music but music and education was his career and paid the bills etc. John was a trained organist (ARCO) and was very involved in musical education in schools. At one time being director of music for Leicestershire schools.

In the late 1990s they moved to Chichester where both became very involved with Pallant House gallery and the local art and music scene. An ideal city in which to live! - David Buttons