Links:
Publications: Fred Lawson. A Painter’s Life by John Duncalfe. Published 2017
Available in all good bookshops
and online
Visit and Stay in Fred Lawson’s Studio
Fred Lawson’s Studio, Castle Bolton
further information available here
Historic Trail:
Fred wrote an illustrated letter each month which was
published in The Ripon Wakeman and subsequently
in The Dalesman.
These letters garnered a great following.
His pen and ink illustrations depicted the life
of The Dales, and his truthful, perfectly measured
words and humour could not fail to engage any reader.
Now republished, this is a collection of the
12 ‘letters’ from 1950: one for each calendar month.
Journey with Fred through the seasons, and the
Yorkshire Dales.
Available as a Kindle edition and soft back book.
Fred Lawson’s Letter from the Dales 12 illustrated
Letters written by Lawson in 1950: January - December.
Sonia Lawson R.A.
Fred Lawson: 1888 - 1968
Sonia Lawson’s father: Fred Lawson
Fred Lawson was born near Leeds in 1888. He moved to the
Yorkshire Dales in 1910, having fallen in love with the
landscape and the people. He is know for his pen drawings and
watercolours which capture the heart of the Dales: a lone sheep
on the moor, or fairground on the village green with caravans.
His work is in collections throughout the UK including Wakefield,
Leeds, Scarborough, Harrogate and Kirkless Art Galleries.
Fred Lawson c.1960
Sonia Lawson’s father
Fred Lawson was born in Yeadon, near Leeds in 1888. He studied fine
art at Leeds College of Art where he won a scholarship to London:
Kensington College of Art (Now the Royal College of Art).
While there he won 3 medals for excelling in drawing and also a
teaching diploma.
In 1910, when he was 22 years old, he visited Wensleydale and decided
the place was his home. It was an auspicious date, as not only was it
the year of Haley’s comet, but also the year of his future wife’s birth.
(Muriel Metcalfe was 22 years younger than Fred).
Although well know for his portrayals of the dales, he travelled on the
continent to Provence and The Low countries, but the 1914 War brought
an end to these journeys.
J.B. Priestley said of Fred Lawson:
A fine and senstivie artist with a style and manner so much of his own
that often I have recognised at once tiny reproductions of pen drawings
as being his work.
Fred’s humour and kind manner charmed many he met, and his
writings for the Ripon Wakeman (1949-1958) and The
Dalesman (1958-1968) distilled this. He wrote and illustrated a
‘Letter from the Dales’ every month for the Dalesman, and had
many fans across the globe.
Sonia tells how one letter arrived addressed to:
Fred Lawson, Artist and Philosopher, Wensleydale, England.
Fred illustrated many books and articles, including books of
poems by Dorothy Una Ratcliffe.
Fred lived and worked in his beloved dales until his death in
1968.
Sonia recalls how during the second world war, he paid for
some of their rations with his paintings. His work was good and
joyful currency amongst those who also loved the landscape
that he captured so well.
Links:
Publications:
Fred Lawson A Painter’s Life by John Duncalfe. published 2017
Available from all good booksellers. Also available online
Visit and stay in
Fred Lawson’s studio
Fred Lawson’s studio, Castle Bolton.
further information available here.
Historic Trail:
Fred wrote an illustrated letter each month which was
published in The Ripon Wakeman and subsequently
in The Dalesman.
These letters garnered a great following.
His pen and ink illustrations depicted the life
of The Dales, and his truthful, perfectly measured
words and humour could not fail to engage any reader.
Now republished, this is a collection of the
12 ‘letters’ from 1950: one for each calendar month.
Journey with Fred through the seasons, and the
Yorkshire Dales.
Available as a Kindle edition and soft back book.
Fred Lawson’s Letter from the Dales 12 illustrated
Letters written by Lawson in 1950: January - December.
Sonia Lawson R.A.
Fred Lawson: 1888 - 1968
Sonia Lawson’s father: Fred Lawson
Fred Lawson was born near Leeds in 1888. He moved to the
Yorkshire Dales in 1910, having fallen in love with the
landscape and the people. He is know for his pen drawings and
watercolours which capture the heart of the Dales: a lone sheep
on the moor, or fairground on the village green with caravans.
His work is in collections throughout the UK including Wakefield,
Leeds, Scarborough, Harrogate and Kirkless Art Galleries.
Fred Lawson c.1960
Sonia Lawson’s father
Fred Lawson was born in Yeadon, near Leeds in 1888. He studied fine
art at Leeds College of Art where he won a scholarship to London:
Kensington College of Art (Now the Royal College of Art).
While there he won 3 medals for excelling in drawing and also a
teaching diploma.
In 1910, when he was 22 years old, he visited Wensleydale and decided
the place was his home. It was an auspicious date, as not only was it
the year of Haley’s comet, but also the year of his future wife’s birth.
(Muriel Metcalfe was 22 years younger than Fred).
Although well know for his portrayals of the dales, he travelled on the
continent to Provence and The Low countries, but the 1914 War brought
an end to these journeys.
J.B. Priestley said of Fred Lawson:
A fine and senstivie artist with a style and manner so much of his own
that often I have recognised at once tiny reproductions of pen drawings
as being his work.
Fred’s humour and kind manner charmed many he met, and his
writings for the Ripon Wakeman (1949-1958) and The
Dalesman (1958-1968) distilled this. He wrote and illustrated a
‘Letter from the Dales’ every month for the Dalesman, and had
many fans across the globe.
Sonia tells how one letter arrived addressed to:
Fred Lawson, Artist and Philosopher, Wensleydale, England.
Fred illustrated many books and articles, including books of
poems by Dorothy Una Ratcliffe.
Fred lived and worked in his beloved dales until his death in
1968.
Sonia recalls how during the second world war, he paid for
some of their rations with his paintings. His work was good and
joyful currency amongst those who also loved the landscape
that he captured so well.
