Artist’s river plunge to save watercolour
THIS is the moment a sporting artist stripped down to his underpants and dived into a river from a 20ft bridge to save a fellow painter’s masterpiece.
John Behm, 62, was competing in an openair painting event on Tuesday evening when disaster struck.
The architectural designer was walking to Fye Bridge in Norwich after finishing his own work when he saw one of his competitor’s easels tumble into the water.
Throwing off his smock, the American plunged into the River Wensum to save the landscape from destruction.
He said: “I peeked over the parapet of the bridge and saw the easel and the painting. It was drifting down the river.
“Sometimes there’s something in you that has to be done so you do it.
Applause
front of
“I shed my trousers, painter’s smock and all, put my glasses in my shoes, climbed on the wall and dived in. I got to the easel, gave it my best life-saving grip and brought it up.”
The father of four hauled the sodden canvas on to the bank to the applause of a large crowd that had gathered on the bridge.
Mr Behm, from Tasburgh, Norfolk, said: “It came as a surprise for me to realise I was just in my sopping wet pants in front of all those people, but it was fun.”
He added: “They say artists are willing to suffer for their art. I did get a bit of a gash on my calf as I swung my leg over the parapet, so I suffered for my friend’s art.”
The watercolour and gouache landscape belonged to James Colman, who founded the Paint Out competition.
Mr Colman denied rumours he had deliberately knocked the piece in the water because he was dissatisfied with his work.
He said: “It was an accident, honestly.”
Mr Behm added: “I made him promise to let it dry out and save it. I didn’t go to all that effort for him to throw it away.”
The Paint Out event, now in its fifth year, sees dozens of artists gather in towns and cities to complete work outdoors.