Scores of stunning watercolour paintings by artist John Duffy MBE have gone on sale in Southport – in order to raise funds for charity.
John, who died earlier this year, was a talented painter who loved depicting scenes of his home town of Southport, the Lake District and across the world with countries such as France, Italy, Malta and Egypt.
For over 50 years, the trained chartered surveyor and local businessman was a member of Rotary – whose motto is ‘Service Above Self’.
Volunteers from The Rotary Club of Southport are now staffing a pop-up shop in Wayfarers Arcade on Lord Street in Southport, which has kindly been provided by the arcade, in order to display and sell his wonderful and original works of art. It has been made possible thanks to this very generous donation by John’s family.
The special legacy project is one of the highlights of this year’s Centenary celebrations for The Rotary Club of Southport.
John would have approved. He gave so much of his time to those who needed support in so many ways, including being one of the founders of Southport Samaritans.
It is a unique opportunity for people to buy from 150 beautiful, original watercolour paintings in a sale which runs until Sunday, 6th November 2022.
John’s daughter, Laura Butler, said: “My Dad’s hobby was borne out of his deep love of buildings and architecture combined with a love of the landscape of the Lake District.
“Beginning in earnest in the late 1970s he joined a local art group that met in the evening at St Thomas Moore School.
“With help and guidance he began to add colour to the pen and ink drawings he had technically learned how to do whilst studying to be a chartered surveyor in the 1950s.
“As a busy Senior Partner of Hatch and Fielding Estate Agents he enjoyed weekends and holidays in the Lake District with a particular fondness for Borrowdale, Cartmel and Staveley where with his late wife, Mary, he bought part of a converted chapel providing a bolthole from the stresses of business and also as a base for painting and sketching trips in the Lake District National Park.
“Many happy hours were spent walking the Lakes, sampling foods in various pubs and sketching from under trees as it rained as it so often did. With a vast collection of sketch books and photos for reference he had endless inspiration with which to fuel his desire to paint.
“As a chartered surveyor in Southport he was lucky enough to visit many properties in his 40 year career and he had a wealth of knowledge about Southport and its buildings.
“Many of his paintings are often in places in and around his home town and he was often commissioned to paint a particular property or meaningful place for someone.
“For many years he designed Christmas cards for his Rotary Club which he was a member of for over 50 years.
“The profits supported their charities and with each picture he sold, and there were very many, the proceeds would always go to a charity he was involved with, often The Samaritans.
“Many times his work was included in local artists’ exhibitions like the Palette Club at The Atkinson in Southport. Understandably it was a bit of a thrill if a painting sold as well.
“He was awarded an MBE for his charitable works in 2016, which was presented by our now King Charles III.
“He was involved in so many things around Southport, all of them local, never national.
“Once John and Mary eventually found their wings, in 1981, they visited various European places including Malta, Venice, and France, and enjoyed various cruises which was another source of inspiration.
“John would often send Mary shopping so he could have a couple of hours to sketch and paint in peace.
“After Mary died in 2002 that meant a new style of foreign holiday with like-minded individuals and with respected artists tutoring to places like Scilly Isles, Sorrento, Sicily, Venice, Puglia, Annecy, Lake Como and Maggiore, and chateaux in France to name a few, all of which he thoroughly enjoyed.
“Sadly at 89 John became very ill in November 2021 and after spending Christmas and New Year in hospital, becoming asymptomatic with Covid-19 and being discharged to Peacehaven House, he passed away just four days later.
“His loss is immeasurable to his family but we have a huge collection of paintings and an even bigger collection of sketch books that we are delighted to share.
“As ever, the proceeds of sale from these paintings will be going to charity.
“This time it’s for the Southport Rotary Centenary Charity.”
Keith Mitchell, from The Rotary Club of Southport, said: “John was one of the founders of Southport Samaritans, was Chairman of Peacehaven House on Roe Lane for over 20 years, and was a Trustee of the Gadsby Trust.
“He was one of the organisers of the Game and Country Fair at Meols Hall in Churchtown, which raised nearly £250,000 for charity over the years.
“He was a member of The Rotary Club of Southport for over 50 years and did so much to support local charities – not national charities, he always chose to support good causes in his home town. He was a tireless worker for so many charities.
“He was a real gentleman, he was very special.
“The Rotary Club of Southport is staging this exhibition in memory of John in our centenary year. Every penny raised from the sale of his paintings will go towards local good causes.
“We are doing this in memory of John because he was such a fantastic person and gave to other people in so many ways.
“Rotary’s motto of ‘Service Above Self’ really epitomised him.”
The exhibition also features five works by Janet Wake, the former Head of Art at Meols Cop High School in Southport; and 20 works of art by Graham Wareing, a member of Churchtown Art Club.
- The John Duffy Watercolours exhibitions and art sale will be at Wayfarers Arcade, Lord Street, Southport, 10am-4pm every Tuesday to Sunday from now until Sunday, 6th November 2022. It will be staffed by volunteers from Southport Rotary.
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
