‘Magical’ railway exhibition sells painting for £5000 in aid of Ukraine

A PAINTING of GWR No. 4081 Warwick Castle was one of the stars of the Guild of Railway Artists’spring exhibition, selling for an eye-catching £5000 in aid of the DEC Ukraine appeal.

Held at Kidderminster Railway Museum from April 9-May 1, the exhibition was dedicated to Frank Hodges, one of the GRA’s cofounders and for many years its leading light as secretary, exhibitions organiser and honorary chief executive. He died in February at the age of 79.

The painting, depicting No. 4081 and titled Castle in the Golden Valley, was the work of guild president John Austin, and had been donated by its owner, a private individual, for sale by way of sealed bids in aid of wartorn Ukraine.

Worthy cause

Several exhibiting artists expressed their pleasure to Heritage Railway that such a worthy cause was to benefit from an exhibition dedicated to the much-respected and sorely-missed Frank. Members of his family attended the opening, performed by guild patron Lady Judy McAlpine.

Anna Bastin, Frank’s successor as exhibitions organiser, described her delight at how the event unfolded: “The 61 paintings on show were beautifully lit thanks to associates of our president, who created an almost a magical atmosphere among the nameplates and railway relics in the museum.”

She said that the 29 members who had their paintings selected for display included not only the guild’s three fellows – John Austin, Philip Hawkins and Malcolm Root – but also a number of new members exhibiting for the first time.

“Their work attracted a lot of compliments from visitors,” she added. “The paintings covered varying interpretations of the railway subject, including not just the locomotives but also infrastructure and its people.

“All but one of the works were for sale and 22 had been sold by the time the exhibition ended, but sales are not really the primary purpose of the exhibition, which is to provide a unique opportunity to show a variety of original railway art to the public.”

Gala boost

An average of 100 visitors viewed the exhibits each day, an attendance boosted by the adjacent Severn Valley Railway’s Spring Steam Gala that was held between April 21 and 24. The guild’s next exhibition will also be held at the museum, and will run daily from August 20 to October 2.

Heading for the main line: Philip Hawkins’ painting of GWR 2-6-2T No. 4570 was one of more than 20 works of art sold during the Guild of Railway Artists’ spring exhibition. His caption to the painting reads: “A beautiful day in St. Ives, Cornwall, during the summer of 1958 sees GWR No. 4570 heading a train out of the sunny resort to join the main line at St. Erth. Steam officially ended on this branch in September 1961 but the line remains open and busier than ever, relieving, as it does to a great extent, the dire road traffic problem in the narrow streets of the lovely town of St. Ives.”

Work of art: The painting of GWR No. 4081 Warwick Castle by Guild of Railway Artists’ president John Austin that raised £5000 in aid of Ukraine at the guild’s spring exhibition at Kidderminster Railway Museum.