The World of John Richard Hewitt

Artist & Writer



Gallery

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Old Soldier

An old soldier, already battle worn and weary, has an expression of anxiety. Perhaps he is remembering old campaigns; perhaps he is preparing for yet another battle. Can he take another war? Hasn’t he done his duty?

He is clothed in a dark, olive green tunic with a breastplate of gunmetal and silver. His hat, that matches his tunic, has a long, almost golden plume.

He looks elegant and regal, and yet for this old soldier, it has perhaps lost all its meaning.

“Old Soldier”
Original oil on canvas by John Richard Hewitt
48 inches x 36 inches
£1850

Nepalese Lady

A trip to Nepal and our party came across a simple school not far from the foothills of the Himalayas. Here we met the staff and pupils and this school assistant who kindly allowed me to take her photo.

Her face was welcoming and as she poured us our tea, the school children gathered around to see if we had any more chocolate or hand-wipes. We were given beautiful scarves and daubed with vermilion as honoured guests, and we sat in these humble surrounding as they spoke of the challenges of running a school and getting supplies in this remote village.

I wanted to portray her kindness as well as her wisdom, and I wanted to paint her in contrasting very cool and very warm coolers to represent the contrasting elements within Nepal itself.

“Nepalese Lady”
Original oil on canvas by John Richard Hewitt
20 inches x 16 inches
£750

Prodigal Son

A strange landscape, and what could be a sculpture or a figure, or perhaps two figures entwined.

This painting started with a single line in raw umber oil paint and developed into what you now see. I wanted to depict the embrace of the two figures as if they were rejoined after a long absence and thus you can't tell where one ends and the other begins. The surrealist background depicting a barren landscape is intended to give space to breathe for what could be described as a painting-sculpture.

This could be seen as the reunion of father and son, God and the creation, or a return to the illuminated knowledge of self after a long time in the dark - ultimately it is a homecoming.

"Prodigal Son"
Original oil on canvas by John Richard Hewitt
48 inches x 36 inches
£1850