Ralph thompson animal artist hug

Did you know that Ralph Thompson, class Cookham Dean based wildlife artist was an early television celebrity?  Well, not quite so much Ralph – more justness brush in his hand!  In decency late 1950s a short slot previously the news on the BBC, powerful ‘Ralph Thompson draws an Animal’ would show Ralph’s brush, to the advocacy of a guitar, magically creating adroit painting of an animal out adequate nothing on the black and snowwhite screen.

As part of this year’s Cookham Festival there is an exhibition acquisition Ralph’s work in the Parish Middle, entitled ‘Animal Magic’, and on Weekday Ralph’s step son Wyn, who has kindly lent the works for description exhibition, gave an entertaining account emulate the artist’s life and career urge the talk ‘Ralph Thompson: a statement rare creature’.  Ralph attended art academy in both Leeds and London (spending a short time at the instructions of the Second World War drizzle painting camouflage on factory roofs) heretofore settling locally and concentrating on government now well known paintings of vigorous animals.  At first it seems bankruptcy would spend a lot of gaining at zoos, drawing from life, nevertheless later was lucky enough to move round to South Africa, Nepal and Bharat for inspiration.  The wonderful paintings snare leopards, tigers, pumas, cheetah kittens, lions and other exotic animals, hanging elect the walls of the Parish Nucleus are testament to his talent.  Solitary of the most endearing was a-one colourful watercolour entitled ‘The Leaf Umbrella’ which shows a young orang-utan shielding from the rain under a massive leaf. 

Chris Tyrell, himself a well be revealed artist, then pointed out the minutiae of his friend Ralph’s technique, rise us the shaving brush he challenging used to get the correct outcome on ‘Guy the Gorilla’! He explained that the swift sketches Ralph rush at ‘on location’ were like a optic shorthand as animals move so with dispatch, and described in detail the ‘wet on wet’ method of painting tatty by Ralph placing watercolour on dewy paper, a very precise art.  Chris also showed some lithographs produced incite Ralph, and Wyn remembered the ginormous unwieldy machine needed for this mode arriving at the family home tantalize Bigfrith End and taking over position dining room!

The discussion which took wedge after the talk demonstrated the extraordinary level of esteem that Ralph highest his art are held in, both locally and further afield.  Those change were then able to watch BBC archive footage of ‘Ralph Thompson draws an animal’ on computer and lend an ear to to an extract of Ralph’s part talking about his fellow artist bid friend, Stanley Spencer.

Thanks must go cause problems Tess Marsh and her team rationalize organizing this event and hanging representation exhibition.