Centenary Project

This project involves painting selected Devon and Cornwall War Memorials to stimulate interest in the Centenary years of the First World War. The aim is to identify with the deep emotions communities felt all those years ago and what we're up to now. Some memorials are grand, others are simple and a few surprise. Their design and construction meant so much then – City, village and rural settings will feature. Guiding principles for paintings are: (1) Setting (2) Impact (3) Composition.

Granite crosses, obelisks, village halls and parks were common designs; stone tablets and brass plates located in churches were equally popular. Dr Todd Gray of Exeter University has influenced my approach to this project; his detailed research of War Memorials in Devon are described in his book ‘Lest Devon Forgets’. I hope this work stimulates interest in the past, connects to the present and touches the future.

Paintings sold will raise funds for Service charities including the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF), The RIFLES Care for Casualties and The Plymouth Home for Veterans. Some locations are fascinating/out of the ordinary – hence the watercolour near Polperro on the SW Coastal Path. If you know of a memorial that sits in an equally intriguing location I would love to know about it. You can get in touch via the Contact Section of the website.

Go to Memorials under Galleries on the Home Page to view paintings associated with this project, some of which were exhibited in the Mall Galleries, London in May 2014. The sketches below give an idea of how I am approaching this work.