Originally published at: https://hornseacommunitynews.uk/arts/the-man-behind-the-magic/
The coming few weeks in Hornsea will be particularly busy for lovers of art with the Hornsea Art Festival taking place between Monday 23rd July and Saturday 4th August. Hornsea Art Society’s Annual Exhibition covers the same period and the Hornsea Art Society ‘Open Studios’ coincide, taking place over the weekend of 28th and 29th July.
What have all these in common? - the name Philip Hargreaves. He has been Chairman of Hornsea Art Society since January 2014 and under his guidance the Society has gone from strength to strength …but what do we know about Philip?
Philip and his wife Claude live in Sigglesthorne and he has always had a love for art from his student days at Nottingham University. As part of his course work he spent a year in the Dordogne, France, as a foreign language assistant where he met his wife Claude. He also spent a term at Aix-en-Provence where he learnt about the artist Cezanne whom he came to admire greatly.
On leaving University he took up a post as a French teacher at Bridlington School and eventually became Head of Languages. He also taught at Beverley Girls High School.
After taking early retirement Philip and Claude settled in Sigglesthorne to get his art career started. Philip is also a very good bowler and played for Hornsea Outdoor Bowling Club and also for Yorkshire for nine years during the 90s. In 1998 Philip was Yorkshire Outdoor Two Wood Singles Champion, and was then involved in the Hornsea Indoor Bowling Club from its start, serving on the original committee and playing indoor bowls there.
It was a chance meeting however, about ten years ago, that saw his art career take off at Open Gardens in Sigglesthorne where Philip had some of his paintings on display. They impressed Hornsea Art Society member Selina Fennel who had looked in, saw his paintings and persuaded him to join Hornsea Art Society where he quickly established himself with his works.
Philip paints with a painting knife, mainly with oils and initially landscapes, but the Tour de France cycle race passing through Yorkshire in 2014 saw him explore sport painting. In that year he was elected Chairman of Hornsea Art Society and quickly made his mark.
The Society meets once a month and has small sub-groups, demonstrations and, apart from painting, there is a textile section. The Society is thriving. As well as the Annual Exhibition held at the Masonic Lodge, Alexandra Road, Hornsea from July 24th to August 4th (free entry), this year Philip has Hornsea’s first Art Festival up and running at various venues and locations over Hornsea with highly talented artists taking part. One of the artists will be Tom Voyce, Sky Artist’s ‘Landscape of the Year’ Artist (2017). The programme highlighting this exciting event is now available to download (http://hornseaartsociety.co.uk/hornsea-art-festival/ ).
This is the fifth year of Hornsea Art Society Open Studios over the weekend of 28th/29th July. Many of Hornsea’s very talented artists will be showcasing their tremendous talent. Visit the Society’s Summer Exhibition (free entry) at the Masonic Hall and pick up a programme of where to see this local talent.
With his bowling club connections Philip has also been involved in the opening of the Gallery at the Indoor Bowling Club and here local artists have a chance to exhibit their work with a different artist featuring each month. The gallery is well worth a visit during the Club’s opening hours.
Hornsea Art Society currently works with residents at Aarondale House, Residential Home and is also planning a mural for the new First Aid post in Tesco car park. In October there will be a ‘Made in Hornsea’ Exhibition to show off work produced during the Hornsea Art Festival.
Hornsea Art Society is also working in partnership with Hornsea Nursery School to build an Arts Centre at the school to forge links with Hornsea’s Young Artists of Tomorrow. For the first time Nursery School pupils will be exhibiting at the Annual Exhibition at the Masonic Hall along with the other Hornsea schools.
In 2017 Hornsea Art Society finished runners-up in the Art Club of the Year competition run by The Artist and Leisure Painter Magazine.