Samuel William Dodwell RI (1909 in Wandsworth, London – 1990 in Truro) was an English

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

Life and work

Sam Dodwell discovered painting at an early age and at the age of 18, while visiting Cornwall on holiday, decided that the county would be his future home. He was initially prevented from this ambition by family pressure and by the Depression, and took up a career in banking. He rose to the top of a US bank in London and also served through World War II as an RAF Squadron Leader. In his late fifties, he suffered three major heart attacks. After then experimental

open-heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...

, predicted to give him four more years of life, he lived 23 years, during which he achieved his ambition. moving to Cornwall to take up a career as prolific painter. He painted daily, his works inspired by regional subjects, in various media: oils,

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...

, gouache or watercolour. His style was inspired by Impressionism, especially Cézanne, and later

Cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...

. During his career he exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

Royal Society of British Artists The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy. History The RBA commenced with twenty-seven members, and took until 1876 to reach fif ...

, Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the

Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI), initially called the New Society of Painters in Water Colours, is one of the societies in the Federation of British Artists, based in the Mall Galleries in London. History In 1831 the so ...

(of which he was an elected member). His commissions included large sunflower paintings for the Imperial Hotel, Torquay, and a mural for the American Chamber of Commerce in London. He also taught at schools, art societies, studio groups, via television and also to

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

. He was closely associated with the Mid-Cornwall Galleries at

St Blazey St Blazey ( kw, Lanndreth) is a small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. St Blaise is the civil parish in which St Blazey is situated; the name St Blaise is also used by the town council. The village of Biscovey and the settlements of ...

Gate from their creation in 1980; he is commemorated at this venue by a Sam Dodwell Gallery. A major retrospective exhibition, including some 50 of his works, was staged there in February 2007.

References

* Work of artist who taught Prince Charles, ''Western Daily Press'', Bristol, England, February 24, 2007
Sam Dodwell RI
artist profile, MCG
Play it again, Sam!: A Retrospective of the paintings of Sam Dodwell R.I.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodwell, Sam 1909 births 1990 deaths 20th-century English painters English male painters Members of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours 20th-century English male artists