Western Morning News (Saturday)
Artwork will leave a lasting impression
WHEN Anthony Amos died in 2010 no-one could have predicted the huge impact he made and the lasting legacy he left behind. From his tiny studio in Totnes, Amos created a vast range of work which appealed to everyone, from serious art collectors and connoisseurs to the uninitiated passerby who saw his work in the window and simply fell in love with his paintings.
Tony Amos was a man of the people, who had great warmth and empathy. He would draw and paint wherever he could - on the bus on his way to his studio, in the fields surrounded by lush, green grasses, on the mess table while he was on night watch. He couldn’t help it, he just had to paint, and he was happy to share his talent wherever he could.
He was often invited to demonstrate his painting at various clubs and societies throughout Devon and often he would donate his sketches as a thank you in return.
Men Pulling the Boat is a good example of this. Working quickly, his fingers hardly leaving the canvas, his audience would gasp at the painting emerging before their eyes, full of energy and movement, and clearly portraying his chosen subject, in this case a small team of men working hard to pull in the boat. Just a few marks and yet the scene is clear, the effort palpable. A sketch like this would have been the beginning of preparation for the magnificent Pulling in the Boat.
The experience of working on boats at sea and of labouring in fields provided Amos with the indepth knowledge and awareness he needed to recreate the physical aspect of men and women working hard to survive.
But more than that, perhaps unwittingly, he endows each of them with a dignity and grace that makes us stand back in appreciation, admiration and awe.
Anthony Amos was unique. And to see his work is a joy.
AMOS is on at The Brownston Gallery, Modbury from May 20 to June 11. The private view is Thursday, May 19.
All enquires to the gallery on 01548 831338 or email art@ brownstonart.com. See the collection at www.brownstonart.com.