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The
area around Church Stretton is undoubtedly one of the UK's treasures,
capable of offering tranquility, beauty, and a real diversity of
scenery - from picturesque valleys to the harsh imagery of the Stiperstones.
Taking early retirement in the mid eighties, Geoffrey Sutcliffe
chose to build his home and studio here, just a mile or so outside
of the small south Shropshire town and in the heart of this landscape.
Armed with a cup of coffee, Geoffrey was good enough to show me
around his studio. Climbing to the second floor, the stairs opened
immediately into a long, warm and sensuous room, scented with oil
paints and turpentine and decorated with the paraphernalia of painting.
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The
studio
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Light
and airy, with wooden beams exposed in the low ceiling, paintings
lie and lean on every surface. Many are instantly recognisable as
Shropshire or border landscapes.
Originally just a patch of ground, Sutcliffe had the luxury of creating
a house from scratch, and paid particularly attention to the provision
of a working studio.
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Offa's
Dyke
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As he has grown older, Sutcliffe's mobility has become limited.
Faced with the option of moving to a more practical property, he
and his wife chose to install a stairlift and a few other aids,
rather than abandoning his studio.
His art is not the stuff of sugary Christmas cards or biscuit tins,
but rather genuinely expresses the force and variety of nature.
Geoffrey
Sutcliffe was born and bred in Leicester, and when he left school
at 16, looking to study art, it is no wonder that he chose the local
Leicester
College of Art.
Studying in the tough post war years, as Britain attempted to recover
and rebuild after 1945, painting must have seemed a strange career
path for any young man.
Like many of us, Sutcliffe puts his decision down to an enthusiastic
and gifted
school teacher, who offered encouragement and inspiration in his formative
years.
Later, Sutcliffe would himself take up teaching in Birmingham and
London, and given his gentle, infectious approach, I suspect that
he also inspired a few pupils along the way.
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Paint
and brushes
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The artist then moved to Cheshire, and became Art Advisor for the
county in 1967. Eventually he would rise to become Cheshire's Assistant
Director of Education. However, his art suffered. An ever increasing
amount of admin and paperwork left him with less time to paint.
Early retirement in 1985 offered Sutcliffe a chance to indulge his
passion, and brought him to Church Stretton.
Over
the years, his paintings have inevitably matured. He now has a clear
preference for large-scale work and his oils are applied thicker
than ever. Manipulating the medium with a knife, or even his fingers,
allows him to create images that are dynamic in form, texture and
colour.
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One
of the latest seascapes.
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One
of his latest canvasses is a perfect example. A wild and iridescent
seascape lies on an easel at the far end of the studio, awaiting
exhibition in Shrewsbury.
Such is the scale of the greys, blues and foaming whites that an
office chair became a vital piece of equipment, allowing him to
wheel back and forth to gain the necessary distance to judge the
overall progress of the painting.
Now, paintings may take longer to produce and many locations are
certainly less accessible than they once were, but his art still
demonstrates a vibrancy and passion for the world around him.
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