All work : ER Sturgeon [Biography]

ER Sturgeon

E R Sturgeon was born in the village of Drayton, near Langport, in Somerset, in 1920. His love and talent for art was evident at a very early age and encouraged by his art teacher. Dick Sturgeon left school at the age of fourteen in the midst of a depression. Any employment was welcome and there were certainly no thoughts of pursuing a career in arts.

In 1940, Dick enlisted with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry stationed at Bodmin Barracks. Outside Tobruk in 1942, Rommel's armoured columns attached the lightly armed 1st Battalion. Few soldiers managed to escape the onslaught; those who were not slain were captured and shipped to Italy. Dick Sturgeon was one such soldier.

Dick was transported to an area north of Naples and began a stay of imprisonment at a camp called Cadua. Then, after the Italians had capitulated and the Allies advanced, all the prisoners were moved up to Germany where they stayed until the end of the war. During those long, miserable days in Germany, his interest in art was aroused once more. The waiting was intolerable and Dick tried to relieve the boredom by sketching portraits of his fellow prisoners, sometimes using photographs carried by his comrades.

At the end of the war, with a great deal of help from the Colonel at a resettlement camp, Dick secured a placement at Taunton Art College. This began the career that he had so often dreamed about, and it led to his first job as a commercial artist with the local newspaper.

After working there for several years, he had the urge to broaden his horizons and worked on newspapers in Birmingham and Wolverhampton. His love of the West Country however, was so great that he had to return. He again worked as a commercial artist for a time, but began to devote more and more time to painting watercolours. In 1970, Dick held his first one-man exhibition in a Langport gallery. The event was most successful - every painting being sold. A chance visit by a representative of a leading London publishing company led to the production of a number of Limited Editions. Demand for his work then grew rapidly.

In the mid eighties a partnership was formed with Mo Little which led to the establishment in 1987 of Barrymore Publications in order to publish the limited edition book "Sketches and Watercolours by E R Sturgeon" which they produced together. Since then Barrymore Publications have continued to handle his business affairs and now have an extensive range of prints available.

Dick Sturgeon was a very popular and gifted artist. He is particularly well known for his rural village scenes, but the range of work is much wider than that. His work is held in the highest esteem and is exhibited in galleries throughout the world.

After a short illness Dick died on the 5th December 1999. He was still working until two or three days before his death, producing work of the highest standard. As a mark of respect a year later Mo changed the company name to Sturgeon Publications. Carrying out Dick's wishes, they continue to publish his paintings and promote his work.

Dick was a talented artist and a wonderful character. Although sadly missed, he left behind a truly remarkable legacy!