Dennis Duckworth Exhibition Room1

Room 1- "LIFE"

These works have been chosen to represent the more chronological development of method, style, media and subject. The subjects are more personal; local scenes, depicted as he saw them at the time, from childhood in the industrial boom through life in war time northern England. Other subjects based on people and portraits may infer something of the personality of the artist as much as the characters depicted.

Early works show the literally illustrative techniques acquired through formal art school education. The chosen media is predominantly watercolour with experiments in oils and gouache paint.

Later work is typical of the Conte crayon with watercolour wash he developed as a trademark technique – unique as far as he knew. The illustrative use of hard black line is complimented by a rich tonal palate, which gives to each piece a linear definition with an underlying emotion.

The following quotes are taken from Dennis Duckworth’s memoirs of his early life in Lancashire:

“When I was seven, I was accepted at Benjamin Hargreaves (St. Paul’s) Junior school. The adorable one among the staff was the flaxen-haired Annie Pendleton, the ‘baby class’ assistant. It was believed that her home was in some remote suburb of Manchester, and it was whispered among us that she would go back to teach there one day. This is just what she did in fact, but not before she had befriended the entire school. A few days before the midsummer holidays she took me aside at playtime into her diminutive nursery.

“Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?”

“No,” I faltered.

“You have a great talent. Do you know the meaning of that?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Promise me that you will become an artist - now, promise.”

Of course I promised, and I believe that I have never consciously broken that promise at any time in my life. Annie did not return after the midsummer break and all the boys in the school were heart broken for a whole day.”

Title	Date	Medium	Size
Dennis 1940	1940	Watercolour	54 x 37	Signed
Briggs Yard, Accrington	1935	Watercolour	32 x 24	Signed
River Ribble, Preston	1930s	Watercolour	38 x 32
Sunset in the Park - Searchlights	1943	Conté Crayon / Watercolour		Signed
Manchester survives the blitz	2002	Conté Crayon / Watercolour
Flight over Camden	1943	Conté Crayon / Watercolour	38 x 50	Signed
Plantation (Mill) 2	1943	Conté Crayon / Watercolour	36 x 45	Signed
Queen Street, Brightlingsea	1950	Watercolour	25x36	Signed
Hapton Scouts	1992	Conté Crayon / Watercolour		Signed
Dye Vats	1997	Conté Crayon / Watercolour	49 x 61	Signed
Freud and Daughter	2000	Conté Crayon / Watercolour	75 x 51	Signed
Plantpot on Windowsill	2000	Conté Crayon / Watercolour	75 x 55	Signed
Mill Town	2001	Conté Crayon / Watercolour	56 x 75	Signed
The Ophicleidist	1974	Gouache	66 x 45
Broad Oak Printworks	2003	Conté Crayon / Watercolour
Plantation Mill now demolished
The Prima Donna	1975	Gouache	45 x 30	Signed
Camden Town	1940s	Oil	41 x 52	Signed on verso
Cinerarias	1940s	Oil
Bowley Hill and Pendle		Conté Crayon / Watercolour
Accrington Townscape	1989	Conté Crayon / Watercolour	40 x 49	Signed
Soho Madonna		Conté Crayon / Watercolour
Owl Hall

Prints available to order.

Date

Medium