June 2016 Newsletter

Welcome to the June edition of the Jack Russell Gallery newsletter.
We hope you enjoy reading about what we’ve been up to.

Jack Russell MBE

SUMMER'S HERE!

Summer at last! Which means two things to me. Firstly, the colours change on my palette, and secondly, the cricket season gets underway!

We've had an enjoyable and busy Winter at The Gallery. A big thank you to everyone who has added one of my pictures or books to their collections. We couldn't do it without you! In between painting it was great to watch England playing so brilliantly in South Africa. It brought back many happy memories for me. I lost count of the times people came up to me and reminded me of the Johannesburg test match from 1995. It was a special time, not just on the cricket pitch as I also remember spending every minute I could between matches visiting all the battlefields, such as Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift and Spion Kop. The landscape is perfect for an artist. Rugged, made more beautiful by the constant storms and showers that liven up the colours. And the wildlife is just amazing!

Early Season

I spent some of the early matches this year working with the Middlesex wicketkeepers. I've been involved with them the last 3 or 4 years. My old room mate Angus Fraser invited me to help. Well, he didn't invite me exactly, more like told me I was doing it. He's twice my size so I couldn't argue. Not that I did, I am happy to oblige. I think he's still suffering from the times when he had to put up with me on tour. I used to take over the room, aquiring all the wall space for hanging canvases, lampshades (for drying) and the bathroom for washing cricket kit. Our room used to look like a cross between an art gallery and a chinese laundry. I think he's still suffering from the paint fumes!
One of the early season matches for Middlesex was at The Parks in Oxford. One of my favourite grounds. The old wooden pavilion has a lovely traditional feel to it, inside which the walls are wood panelled with names in gold leaf of all the Oxford Cricket Blues going back generations. I never tire of going there.

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LOOKING AHEAD

Sri Lanka are here this Summer, along with Pakistan, to play England. Both teams evoke wonderful memories for me including a few firsts. My first tour with England was to Pakistan. I only played 3 days cricket in 8 weeks but I loved every minute. I was reserve keeper to Bruce French, and with not a lot to do between practise and matches I spent all my time out and about with my sketch book. All the sketches that I did that trip formed the basis of my first exhibition in 1988. The forty sketches sold out in two days, so my career as a professional artist was born!
I made my first class debut and test debut against the same team, Sri Lanka. My county debut was at Bristol in 1981, while still at school. My test debut was at Lord's in 1988. I can still remember vividly walking through the Long Room then running out onto that lush green turf with three lions on my chest for the first time. Two boyhood dreams coming true. Priceless.

Back on Tour!

We're on tour again this Summer with our exhibition. Thank you to all the Counties and Clubs for your invitations to visit this year. There have been so many that it's not possible to fit everyone in, so I apologise if we can't make it to you this year, we'll try and make it to you next Summer. We're looking forward to visiting some delightful venues, including Guildford, Richmond, Scarborough and we're back at Cheltenham after several years of missing the Festival.

WHEN & WHERE

2nd-4th July Guildford CC, Surrey

8th July Richmond CC, Middlesex

13th-15th, 17th, 20-22nd, 24th July

Cheltenham Cricket Festival

23rd-25th Scarborough CC, Yorkshire

Good luck !

Good luck to all cricketers for a summer filled with plenty of runs, wickets, catches and stumpings! Have a great time both on and off the field.

MY Favourite work