Olive Bagshaw, Artist 1931-2017

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Olive Bagshaw 1931-2017

https://olivebagshaw.blogspot.com/2020/12/

A Brief Biography

Olive Bagshaw was born on 27th November 1931 in .

Olive studied at from 1946-1949. Working as a designer, at the age of 21, she enrolled at the for part time studies in in 1953 and each successive year until 1961. *

Olive knew , an eminent artist of the . Harry Rutherford was very probably Olive's tutor at the Regional College of Art where he taught. See Note 1

Olive Bagshaw Self Portrait

Olive was a passenger in a car involved in a road accident in the mid 1960s which left her unable to walk. Olive married , who had known Olive since he was 16 years old, in the autumn of 1965.

Olive wanted her artistic merit to stand alone, quite separate from her personal circumstances and her physical disability. Always a very private individual, she lived happily with her husband for the rest of her life at . In the last part of her artistic development, in her later years, she focussed on abstract works, many in acrylic and mixed media, constantly developing her unique vision.

Chronology of Exhibitions

In her early career, Olive Bagshaw specialised in portraiture, still life subjects and some landscapes. To begin with, her still life subjects were quite varied and eclectic, but as time passed, Olive concentrated more on paintings of flowers in her still life works.

She maintained the focus on portraits until 1972. Her portraits were exhibited in the . She exhibited also at , and the Federation of British Artists (The Mall Galleries).

1966 A very early private exhibition was held at in 1966.

1970 Her first exclusive exhibition was at the in May 1970, when she exhibited 36 paintings. (See Appendix 1 below and Appendix 2, a contemporary review).

1971 There followed an exhibition at in 1971 (16th December - to end of January 1972). A catalogue for this exhibition has not been found. A newspaper feature has been included at Appendix 3.

1972 She exhibited again at the Monks Hall Museum and Gallery in Eccles from January to May 1972.

Olive stopped painting portrait commissions after this exhibition. In March, 1972, she wrote, "I've recently had a chance at outdoor landscape painting and it's been a revelation to me after all these years of painting faces."Note 2. From that point on, she embarked on a long period when she worked on landscapes. From the beginning, she appreciated the work of the Impressionists, particularly . Olive found constant inspiration in Nature.

1973 In June 1973, she exhibited 32 paintings in the . Appendix 4.

As well as many more landscapes, Olive extended her subject matter to larger figure studies and nudes.

1977 In 1977, her paintings across three genres were featured at a major exhibition at the (19th August - 28th September). At that time, she was concentrating mainly on landscapes. 47 paintings were included. See Appendix 5.

1985 Some paintings were exhibited at in 1985. See below painting number 154.

Paintings are held in the collection of the Salford Art Gallery and Museum.

Abstract Works

Subsequently, from the 1980s Olive Bagshaw began another phase in her painting, creating abstract works. An exhibition of her abstract works has never taken place. It is possible that some may have appeared at local exhibitions.She continued to paint abstracts mainly in acrylic paint but also with other materials until shortly before her death in 2017.

Final years

Olive's home suffered a flood early in 2015 and all the stored works had to be moved. Olive said that she had found it fascinating to see works which had been in storage for decades and which she had virtually forgotten about. She wrote that there were four distinct phases in her work. Towards the end of her life, I had discussions with Olive about the possibility of a retrospective exhibition. The failing health of her husband and of Olive herself made this an unachievable objective. Olive was in a care home with Greg at Fulwood near Preston and the paintings were in storage.

The majority of Olive's portraits were commissions. Many still life, landscape and figure paintings including from the exhibitions were sold throughout her life.

Sale of Studio Works 2019

After the death of her husband, Greg, the executor's sale took place at in early 2019. It is believed that all the works were sold to a single buyer. These were then split up and a number of these were sold at in 2019 and in 2020. These were termed the "Artist's Studio Sale".

Collection of Works

In this account a collection of images of oil and acrylic paintings (including those from the Duggleby's "artist's studio" sale) has been gathered from private and public collections, but it is just a sample.

It is hoped and intended that this blog, which I aim to be a basis for a catalogue, can be improved and expanded. Better quality images may be included in the future and more information about their history and details of their subject matter, etc, as a result of information received from those who knew Olive and Greg and who sat for portraits. I shall be grateful for any information. Please see my contact details at the end of this blog.

No systematic documentation of Olive's paintings was found to exist after her death, so for a chronology one has to rely on those paintings which were dated, information from owners, portrait subjects of the paintings and the changes in Olive's painting style in order to attribute approximate periods of time.

The complete blog is included as the last of the posts, so that a comprehensive record of each of the posts can be consulted. I have put each main section into a separate post for ease of reference. The main sections are not necessarily in chronological order. To find that it will be best to look at the last complete section. The paintings are numbered in accordance with the last complete blog section. As far as the abstract works are concerned, I have tried to group them into similar bands, but it is all guesswork, although one sequence is clearly derived from a physical location, . Note 3 All note and other appendix references can be found at the end of the last section.

A glance at the first exhibition catalogue in 1970 (see Appendix 1) shows that from the beginning, Olive was painting in several genres.

Copyright

Images

I have sought to record image copyright where I have been able to find it. Please let me know if you own copyright on images which is not credited. I shall be happy to record it or remove the image if you wish.

Artist's Copyright

Please note: To date, I have not been able to establish who holds Artist's Copyright for Olive Bagshaw's works reproduced in this blog. Currently, the provisions of Non Commercial Use are intended to apply. This blog is not monetized and its purpose is informational. Please let me know if you have any information about the artist's copyright. Contact details are to be found at the end of this blogpost.

Olive Bagshaw 1931-2017

Comprehensive blog may be found here

Coastal/Seascape and associated Interiors

The following group is probably from around Morecambe, carried out when Olive was on holiday. For outdoor paintings on location, Greg, her husband made a bespoke tent attached to the back of his vehicle which gave protection from the elements. Olive told me that she took her cats with her to Anglesey. Some works are painted from interiors. One is identified as Morecombe.

Low Tide, Morecambe Bay, Lancashire Landscape

114. Low tide, Morecambe Bay, Lancashire

115.

116.

Morecambe Bay (?) through the window with a candlestick and matches

117.

118.

119.

120. Seascape, probably the North Wales Coast from Anglesey

121. (Possibly Menai Straits Storm Approaching c1977)

122.

Both the above are very probably the North Wales Coast from Anglesey. The latter (122) is an oil sketch.

123. The Little Terrace

124.

As mentioned at the start of this brief summary, Olive was inspired by the Impressionists, as Harry Rutherford had been, but particularly by Claude Monet's attempts to capture the endless changes in light in the natural environment and on water. Her seascapes were undoubtedly a challenge she anticipated with much enthusiasm. She painted seascapes in England, Wales and Scotland. See 120, 121, 122 above.

125. Rocky Seascape 1976

126. Rocky Seascape 2

127

Copyright

Images

Artist's Copyright

Olive Bagshaw 1931-2017

Comprehensive blog may be found here

Flowers

Still life paintings of flowers were a major feature of the artist's life work. Flowers were included from time to time in portraits and interiors as can be seen in portraits and interiors above.

136. Still Life of Roses 1965

137. (Chrysanthemums) Salford Museum and Art Gallery

138.Chrysanthemums in a Cream Jug (Also 3 above)

139.

140.

141. Mixed Roses in a decorated White Jug (Titled 2021)

Pink and Yellow Roses in a Vase and on the Table

142.

143.

144.

145.

146.

147.

148.

149.

150.

151.

152. Still Life of Flowers (David Duggleby's Sale)

153.

154

155.

156.

157.

158.

Some paintings were exhibited at The Mall Galleries "Flowers and Gardens" exhibition in 1985.

159. Buttercups in the Rain 1983

160. c1983

161. This painting is a landscape, possibly a clearing in a wood or large garden, but contains many wild flowers.

Copyright

Images

Artist's Copyright

Olive Bagshaw 1931-2017

Comprehensive blog may be found here

Portraits

In the first stages of Olive's development as a portrait painter, she was hugely keen to practise and to improve. Consequently she needed a range of models to pose for her.

4. 1960 (Nicole) (Collection Mrs N Shelton)

The first portrait in this collection was painted well before the other paintings featured below. It is a straight on full face pose, largely two dimensional. It shows a concentration on facial features and while it captures character, the features do not blend naturally. The artist's confidence with a range of poses was to grow swiftly and her technique to deepen perspective likewise. Sound oil painting technique and subtle use of colour were already in evidence. These would become more and more instinctive and free as Olive explored her full capability. With her early portraiture skills, Olive nonetheless creates a striking portrait.

We know that Olive painted three members of the cast of the Granada Television soap opera Coronation Street. Pat Phoenix, Doreen Keogh and Ivan Beavis were painted in 1962/63. This was at the studio address of church architect Edward Blackwell at 10a Plymouth Grove West, Manchester. I have not found images of these early portraits.

A more natural formal portrait with the sitter's head positioned at a slight angle, painted in 1965, reveals major developments in Olive's technique some five years after the 1960 portrait above (4). This portrait of Dorothy Heap (5) was donated to Touchstones, Rochdale.

5. Dorothy Heap 1965 Touchstones Rochdale

In 1966, a portrait of a young woman (below) shows a much more assured, freer style with the technique creating a more three dimensional effect of the subject's face. Olive used to paint directly from the sitter without sketches, drawings or photographs and though she aimed for a likeness, she was always seeking to capture the sitter's personality and their character. This young woman (6) was also painted later (see number 15)

6. Gillian c1966 (Collection Mrs G Barry)

Olive explored a range of different poses when painting her subjects .

7. Full length Portrait of Rita with cat (Ling) c1967

Portrait of a Young Man (Thomas Jolliffe)

8.Thomas Jolliffe 1967

9. Portait of a Woman c1967

10. Portrait - A Woman

Overall, the style is becoming freer and the poses and composition more adventurous.The portrait restricted to a woman's head above (10) is another development.

11. Dolly c 1967

The portrait of Dolly above shows great confidence in the use of colour and free brushstrokes.

There follows a number of portraits from 1967 onwards. Dates, many approximate, have been added where possible. Variations in poses are again evident.

12. Portrait of an Artist c 1967

13. Dolly c 1967

14. Young Woman seated near a Window c 1967

The portrait of the Young Woman seated Near a Window (14) above uses the silhouette approach which the artist deploys from time to time throughout her portaiture works. In this case, it achieves an effect of great sensitivity.

15. Gillian c1967 (Collection Mrs G Barry)

16. Artist's Husband, Greg c1967

17. Greg, Artist's husband 1968

This portrait of Greg is a much less formal painting than the previous one.

18. Dolly 1969

The portrait above of Dolly (18) was painted two years later (1969) than 13 above and is a deeper study of her character. Olive often experimented with different costumes.

19 Jacqueline c 1969 Salford Museum and Art Gallery

19a. Almost certainly the same sitter as 19

20. Cyrilla Jolliffe catalogued as Mrs R Jolliffe 1970 (Collection Mrs N Shelton)

21. Paul 1970 (Collection Mrs N Shelton)

22. Jenny 1970

Olive originally studied textiles at the Salford School of Art and her appreciation of textures in materials shows in studies which she painted of fabrics, in interior furniture and in costumes worn by her models. The Mandarin Jacket is a notable example. Similarly, the matador's costume, (modelled by Greg) is a study of a material as well as a portrait. Olive enjoyed exploring fabrics within her portrait genre.

23. The Mandarin Jacket 1970

(Thomas)

24. The Mandarin Jacket, 1970

25. The Matadors' Costume (Greg)

This painting my be a reference to Harry Rutherford's 'The Matador', 'Souvenir a Juan Belmonte'.

Freer painting technique and intense depiction of character in models featured more strongly in Olive's later portraits such as 26 below which is tightly framed, striking and luminous.

26. Portrait of a Woman 1971

27. Portrait of a Man 1971

28. Portrait of a Young Man 1971

Olive's husband, Greg, met Albert (below) by chance, who agreed to sit for Olive. See Appendix 3 below. She painted Albert a number of times. Ten of these studies were exhibited in her Salford Art Gallery exhibitions (Dec 1971- Jan 1972). It is notable that Olive's style became much freer and more confident in comparison with her early work.

Albert Series , c 1968