A Lifetime of Painting - The 1930s
For the remainder of 2023, in celebration of what would have been John’s 90th year, each month we’re going to share some memories from a decade of his life. Pictured here is his first known work - “House” - which his mother said was painted when he was just two years old. A note on the back in John’s hand, however, says it was more likely to have been done at the age of four.
The accompanying photo shows John at about two and a half years old outside his Nanna Elliot’s house in Lemington. “Nanna Elliot” was actually no relation, but a trusted friend of John’s mother, who often looked after him and his young siblings while his parents were running their grocer’s shop. A sensitive child, John later recalled that one of his earliest memories was of being very concerned about the most suitable arrangement for the bottom of his woollen jersey for the photograph - would it be best rolled up, or down? His resolution to this “problem of proportional relationships” was to have it half rolled up, and half rolled down!