Winston Churchill - The Artist!

What could Winston Churchill possibly have to do with art? A lot!

Like many people, I recently started watching the series The Crown on Netflix. It is very interesting, and I've found myself googling all kinds of things that take place in the show. In episode 9, "Assassins" Churchill is shown many times painting landscapes while outdoors (En plein air). Of course I had to google him as a painter! He started painting later in life, and primarily did landscapes. He said that "painting came to my rescue in a most trying time" in a series of essays he wrote that eventually became a small book called "Painting as a Pastime". He was hesitant to share his works - he made over 500! - he did present some of his works in London to the Royal Academy of Arts for their summer exhibition under a pseudonym. He spread his love of art to the United States - Dwight D. Eisenhower was inspired by Churchill to take up art himself, and is the only U.S. President to set up an art studio in the White House.

There were many things I found interesting in Churchill as a painter. He created beautiful, colorful paintings and used art as a way to deal with depression. He painted for the simple joy of painting, and was always looking to improve himself. What struck me the most is that despite his enormous level of success and his ability to speak before huge crowds (which absolutely terrifies me!), he was shy about sharing his art - even to family and friends. I think many artists feel this way, that their art isn't good enough to share with others. I certainly feel this way a lot of the time! How many wonderful artists are out there that haven't picked up a brush because they are worried about what others will think?

You can read more about Winston Churchill as an artist at Artsy.net