A Drop Too Many

By Tony Doyle

Aimee

By Carole Pugh

 Bison - Yellowstone Winter

By Leon Kreel

Drawn in Isolation

By Alice Dass

Far from the Madding Crowd: Spring Walk

By Paddy Darby

If Not Now Then When?

By David Ace

Isolation Depression Self-Portrait

By Mary Hazel Harris

Naomi

By Philip Gazzard

Ready

By Jan Bastow

26 April 1937

By Raymond Cassidy

No One Wins

By Ingrid Barton

Veteran

By Pauline Guest

Tony Doyle

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I entered the King Lear competition because it would give me great pleasure in sharing my work with other people.  I have had support from an art teacher, that helped me through bad times but she also encouraged me with my work and helped me believe in myself.

What inspired your work?

My inspiration for the picture came from nature, there is nothing more beautiful than rain droplets and the lights that can reflect off them.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

I have tried to keep busy in lockdown by being creative but in a fun way.  I have been making Fairy houses for children’s bedrooms, done a few paintings and have been experimenting with macro photography.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

Once lockdown is over and it is safe to do so, I am looking forward to seeing my friends in the art group and photography club, and just getting out and about being creative.

Carole Pugh

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I am a local artist in my town of Blackburn in Lancashire. My painting of my granddaughter Aimee is in oils on canvas. I have worked as a textile artist in my younger days and just before my retirement as a teaching assistant in a local high school. I have always loved painting and drawing though I've never been to art school or college.

What inspired your work?

My inspiration came from my photos and memories of our recent trip to Western Australia. We only made it back to the UK just as lockdown came on 16th March 2020: we almost got locked down in Australia! My granddaughter Aimee is overjoyed at having her portrait shortlisted.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

I love entering competitions and regularly enter local competitions annually with Blackburn artists. I have come close to winning a few times and this year I'm proud to say I won 'Paint Blackburn' and also 'Paint Padiham'.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

When lockdown is over I’m looking forward to rejoining my artist friends at the Blackburn Artists Society.

Leon Kreel

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I live in Hove, East Sussex. I was born in South Africa where I was always interested in nature and the wild life and spent  a lot of  my time in the countryside. I was always interested in art and photography.  I obtained a degree in Pharmacy and a BSc in Chemistry. I came to England with my young family in 1970 as I did not agree with the political situation in South Africa and this is where I have lived very happily since.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I entered the competition as I was encouraged to do so by a very dear friend.

What inspired your work?

I went to Yellowstone National Park on a photographic trip in mid winter inspired by the David Attenborough programmes and my love of the wildness of it.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

I have been studying tutorials on how to improve my knowledge of photography. I spend time on my patio photographing the bees and butterflies that visit my plants. I take walks on the downs and by the seafront looking for photographic opportunities.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

Being able to hug my children and grandchildren without fear and being free to travel around England which was my intention before the virus hit.

Alice Dass

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I live in Notting Hill in London. My career has been two-fold, firstly as a primary school teacher and then a hotelier, until I developed MS 20+ years ago and was forced to retire early. It was then that art became my all-consuming passion.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I entered the King Lear Prize primarily because I thought that it was a brilliant idea to give a focus to us older people during lockdown; it is also a means to celebrate our creativity.

What inspired your work?

Being a wheelchair-user Lockdown hasn’t been very different to my normal life.  I was inspired to represent the views from my windows and in the garden in a different, non-figurative way - concentrating on abstracting the shapes I saw and rendering them colourful and jolly.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

My other creative occupation during lockdown has been to continue knitting blankets and jumpers for refugees.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

After lockdown I suspect that my life will continue in the same manner - just happily making stuff!

Paddy Darby

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I live in the village of Bilbrook, near Codsall in South Staffordshire. I have lived here for more than 66 years! I have 3 children ( grown up), 6 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. I worked for British Telecom for 30 plus years, initially on the switchboard and later as a supervisor.

I have lifelong interest in gardening and also needlework of all types; I have 2 knitting machines which I still use to produce sweaters for the family. I learned embroidery and crafts from my mother, who herself was an accomplished embroiderer.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

My daughter persuaded me to enter the King Lear Prizes (and helped me submit my entry). It has been a really good morale booster during the lockdown, encouraging people to be creative and keep busy.

What inspired your work?

The work I entered was inspired by a local walk we used to do in Springtime (with a bit of artistic licence!)

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

I have been trying to keep busy during these strange times by refurbishing and repairing my daughter’s knitting machine (by following instructions on YouTube videos). My garden has also kept me busy, as well as doing brain puzzles on my tablet.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

Once all this is over (hopefully very soon), I look forward to travelling to visit my family: FaceTime just isn’t the same as proper face to face contact.

David Ace

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I live in the hamlet of Shadowbush, near the small town of Clare, in west Suffolk. I am from County Durham, and after schooling I attended Sunderland College 
of Art. From there I went on to Maidstone College of Art where. I got my degree,
and met my wife. I got my first job in London working for a graphic design group. From there I worked as a visualiser and eventually an art director in two large advertising agencies. I worked after that as a freelance illustrator, working mainly in Fleet Street. The last twenty years before retirement, were as senior graphic designer
on the Daily Mail.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I entered the King Lear Prizes as it seemed quite novel, and I had just finished a painting primarily intended for the Clare Art Club annual exhibition, which was cancelled due to the Covid outbreak.

What inspired your work?

I had read an article on the finding of Dodo remains on Mauritius which scientists 
claimed they could collect DNA from and recreate the bird. I started to think that if they did, how long would a new Dodo exist in a world where other species were disappearing daily, due to industrialisation and pollution.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

During lockdown I was able to continue painting and walking our Parson Jack Russell.
in the beautiful Suffolk countryside.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

I look forward after lockdown to a return to a sort of normality, and continue to
be able to use my bus pass.

Mary Hazel Harris

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I live in Crowborough East Sussex. I went to Goldsmith’s Art College for the Foundation Year and later in life to Short Courses at West Dean College Chichester, but have never worked as a professional artist. I got married quite young and have a lovely family, daughters and grandchildren.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

My local art society sent out challenges early in lockdown and frankly kept me sane, as my diary, usually full of activity became utterly empty. After the first few weeks, acclimatising, I have done a lot of painting, and cutting and printing woodcuts. Also out of the blue a friend asked me to illustrate her children’s books.

I have walked miles and miles in the beautiful local countryside and I am fitter than before.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

I am looking forward to getting back to normal activities, and meeting friends regularly.

Jan Bastow

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I live in Windlesham, Surrey, where I was born at the end of World War II. I am married with two daughters and three grandchildren.  We moved a couple of times in our early marriage but settled back in Windlesham when our children were young to be close to family.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

Trained at Guildford Art School in the Sixties, I taught all aspects of art and design at secondary level. I thoroughly enjoyed the stimulus of the students and the arts. Since ‘retirement’, I have developed my printing processes and belong to a group which exhibits in galleries and hospitals.

What inspired your work?

“Ready” is of our daughter ready to go on her first Covid-19 ward. She offered to retrain to support the crisis. The teams had intensive retraining and were ready to face what was to come. PPE and scrubs were in short supply meaning difficulties for the hospitals, an added concern for us.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

Making scrubs. Playing card games, reading, walking, enjoying the natural world in our garden with no noise from the nearby motorway; Zooming for chats and quizzes have kept us in touch. My artwork has been a huge part, entering a variety of artistic projects for pleasure and charity.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

Hugging our family and being together; meeting with friends in 3D; seeing live theatre, exhibitions and music; travelling, getting back to the Arts Centre where I print and exchange ideas with like minded people. Living………

Raymond Cassidy

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I was born in Derry/Londonderry but now live in a small village just outside the city boundary called Claudy. I had a happy simple childhood growing up in Northern Ireland but as I got older I became increasingly aware of political and religious intolerance that seemed to permeate every aspect of life. At school I loved art class, where my teacher, Mr Brian Ferran allowed me to stay on after class to draw and paint. I remember being on television at age of 11yrs having won a prize in an art competition.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

My family convinced me that I should let other people see some of my work.

What inspired your work?

Last year I enrolled on a HND Fine Art course at the North West Regional College in Derry/Londonderry. Unfortunately I was only able to complete a couple of weeks before I had to leave through ill health. I had selected War as the main focus for my art project and had been researching conflict past and present through the eyes of artists. I was particularly fascinated by the works of Goya and Picasso.  I felt that nothing had been learnt from the warnings of the past. When I read about present day conflict, and see images of total destruction, I see the timelessness of Guernica.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

Since the beginning of the lockdown, I have been at home, only going out for brief walks and to get the essentials of life when lockdown eased. I use a spare room in my home to work in. Over the past six months I have been working on a series of family portraits, all in oils and on paper.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

I look forward to the freedom of movement without threat, to enjoy the company of my family and others and to be able to go and view the work of other artists.

Ingrid Barton

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I have lived at Kilnwick Percy near Pocklington for almost 30 years but was born in Australia of actor parents, spent my childhood in London and studied English at York university. I have been a teacher and oral storyteller, studied Buddhism, had three children, written three books and qualified as a psychotherapist.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I entered the King Lear Prizes because I thought that it was a great idea, encouraging older people to take pride in their artistic abilities.

What inspired your work?

I have always been interested in Norse mythology, but with climate change, and covid (among other things) making the world darker, the story of the trickster Loki bringing about Balder the Beautiful’s death seemed apposite. At the request of Balder’s goddess mother everything in the world (except the mistletoe) has promised not to kill her beautiful son, but Loki, out of jealousy – or perhaps just a delight in destruction -  tricks Balder’s blind brother into throwing the mistletoe dart that kills him.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

During lockdown I’ve played a lot of computer games as well as singing with the Self-Isolation choir, gardening,  and trying to think up ways of using all those art materials I have accumulated!

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

When we’re allowed out freely again I think that what I’m most look forward to is having a really big dinner party with all my friends.

Pauline Guest

Tell us a bit about where you live and about your life?

I live In a small village in South Yorkshire. I had an interest in drawing at a very young age and was encouraged to enrol for art college, which I did.

I was only there a short time because I was young and foolish and wanted to be like my friends who were working and earning money. I was spurred on by my family many times to show my work but was quite happy doing my own thing in my own time.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

During lockdown I found King Lear Prizes posted on social media and saw the opportunity to show my work.

What inspired your work?

My inspiration came from seeing the most beautiful man, Captain Tom Moore, this man stole my heart from the very first time I saw him on TV walking to raise money for our wonderful NHS, a man from Yorkshire like myself, with a wonderful outlook on life, I just had to draw him.

What else have you been doing to keep busy in lockdown?

During lockdown I have done a self portrait plus others, drawing, and baking too, (I’m a feeder!). When I bake, I bake for England, there’s always cakes and bakes at Nanna’s house, but I must say I miss our family meals together.

What are you looking forward to most after lockdown?

I am looking forward for the  lockdown to end so that we can share our love with our children and grandchildren in the way we are used to, and to get out and about in a normal way again.