Page 5 - OSG: James Hamilton: 49 Landscapes and a Big Wheel
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James Hamilton
49 Landscapes and a Big Wheel
What makes James Hamilton’s watercolours there are natural echoes of others – the colour
so immediately appealing? Clearly his beginnings of Turner or indeed the immediacy
bright optimistic colours applied with such of sketches by Constable, but his art is very
competence have a lot to do with it. Then there much his own. It has the delight one can find in
is the subject matter. Places we might well be early twentieth century painters such as Dufy.
familiar with from our own travels in England, The works have an almost musical quality, the
southern Europe and beyond. He has also an colours and lines springing up and jostling with
eye for the unexpected. The way a field of bulbs one another like a piece of piano music by Erik
can look like strips of alternating colour, or the Satie. The effervescence of his style bubbles up
circle of light which contains the happy people like champagne – has the town of Collioure ever
on the Big Wheel, or the way moored yachts lie looked so inviting?
contentedly in a harbour.
As it is, in these characteristics lie their delight.
But it is more than that. First it is his personal The works give enduring pleasure. Whilst they
distillation of a place – notes may be taken have an immediacy that pulls one in, the
on the spot or even plein air sketches, but it outcome of such distillation and skill means
is James’s reaction to the characteristics of a that every time you return to James’s pictures
particular moment that is so thrilling. The way they give you renewed enjoyment. They remind
the sky inter reacts with the coastline at Chesil you of your own happiness on encountering
Beach casting shadows that even Eric Ravilious a view or spending time in a particular place.
would be jealous of across the shingle.
They conjure up a moment – a moment you
Then there is the nature of his style. For a man can continue to enjoy.
who has spent his life looking at paintings James Miller
