John Hamilton, marine artist



John Hamilton's overview page u His life and achievements u Sailing ships u The War at Sea series u The Falklands Campaign u The Marram grass years u The Antarctic u Current availability and Prices of printsu How to purchase a print

John Hamilton - about the artist

John Hamilton was born in 1919 and was educated at Bradfield College, England. He served throughout the Second World War in The Queen's Royal Regiment in India and at the age of 24, was awarded the Military Cross.
In 1961 he moved to the island of Tresco, in The Isles of Scilly, where he painted and drew as a hobby. It was not however until he was 53, after a bout of Angina, that he sold his business and turned to painting full time.

Sailing ships and the sea
His studio quickly became popular with the many people visiting these beautiful islands. He painted island scenes, the sea and traditional sailing ships, but gradually his interest turned to researching and recording the historical naval battles of the 1939-45 war.

The War at Sea
His first series, the War in the Atlantic, took seven years to complete and consisted of 84 paintings. Rather than produce a one sided view, he was determined to create as accurate account as possible, showing the triumphs and failures of both sides. He talked to veterans and visited archives in England, Germany and later Japan, often changing pictures many times based on his discussions with eye witnesses. This series now hangs in the Imperial War Museum, London, aboard H.M.S. Belfast.

The War in the Pacific, completed 5 years later, was an even greater project, consisting of over 120 paintings ranging in size from 24" x 36" to 40" x 60". The collection hangs in The Pentagon, Washington and may be viewed by appointment.

176 of the 204 paintings from the two series form the basis of his book The War at Sea 1939-45 (ISBN 0-7137-1660-6) which has become a collector's item.

The Falklands Campaign
His next endeavor depicted the crucial role of the helicopter in the Falklands War. While researching the project, which took 4 years to complete, he visited The Falkland Islands three times, making trips to every spot where helicopters were involved in action. Forty-six of the paintings feature in his book 'The Helicopter Story of The Falklands Campaign' (ISBN 0-7153-9286-7). The paintings are spread through several collections, but the last nine originals were bought by The Falkland Islands after the artist's death and hang in the school library in Stanley, for the benefit of all islanders - a fact that would have given him great pleasure.

The Marram Grass years
These projects were not prepaid commissions, so to pay his bills during the years of research, he painted local scenes, primarily of beaches and bird life. He jokingly called these The Marram Grass years, but these paintings enabled him to keep persueing his main interest. Limited edition prints of these pictures are still available.

The Antarctic
In later years he developed a love for The Antarctic and, though in his 70's, spent two winters there aboard H.M.S. Endurance, courtesy of The British Navy. He was flown by helicopter into the interior and painted some magnificent scenes of this lonely landscape, as well as recreations of Shackleton's expedition and documentation of the old buildings left by these and other brave men.

He was the inspiration and a founding member of 'The United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust' which, under the patronage of Princess Anne, raises money to preserve the artifacts and huts of early explorers and to inform and educate the British people about their Antarctic heritage.

He died in 1993, but the gallery remained open until 1997, run by his wife Betty.

A kind, sincere and generous man, he is missed by many.

	John Hamilton - about the artist

	John Hamilton was born in 1919 and was educated at Bradfield College, England. He served throughout the Second World War in The Queen's Royal Regiment in India and at the age of 24, was awarded the Military Cross. In 1961 he moved to the island of Tresco, in The Isles of Scilly, where he painted and drew as a hobby. It was not however until he was 53, after a bout of Angina, that he sold his business and turned to painting full time. Sailing ships and the sea His studio quickly became popular with the many people visiting these beautiful islands. He painted island scenes, the sea and traditional sailing ships, but gradually his interest turned to researching and recording the historical naval battles of the 1939-45 war. The War at Sea His first series, the War in the Atlantic, took seven years to complete and consisted of 84 paintings. Rather than produce a one sided view, he was determined to create as accurate account as possible, showing the triumphs and failures of both sides. He talked to veterans and visited archives in England, Germany and later Japan, often changing pictures many times based on his discussions with eye witnesses. This series now hangs in the Imperial War Museum, London, aboard H.M.S. Belfast. The War in the Pacific, completed 5 years later, was an even greater project, consisting of over 120 paintings ranging in size from 24" x 36" to 40" x 60". The collection hangs in The Pentagon, Washington and may be viewed by appointment. 176 of the 204 paintings from the two series form the basis of his book The War at Sea 1939-45 (ISBN 0-7137-1660-6) which has become a collector's item. The Falklands Campaign His next endeavor depicted the crucial role of the helicopter in the Falklands War. While researching the project, which took 4 years to complete, he visited The Falkland Islands three times, making trips to every spot where helicopters were involved in action. Forty-six of the paintings feature in his book 'The Helicopter Story of The Falklands Campaign' (ISBN 0-7153-9286-7). The paintings are spread through several collections, but the last nine originals were bought by The Falkland Islands after the artist's death and hang in the school library in Stanley, for the benefit of all islanders - a fact that would have given him great pleasure. The Marram Grass years These projects were not prepaid commissions, so to pay his bills during the years of research, he painted local scenes, primarily of beaches and bird life. He jokingly called these The Marram Grass years, but these paintings enabled him to keep persueing his main interest. Limited edition prints of these pictures are still available. The Antarctic In later years he developed a love for The Antarctic and, though in his 70's, spent two winters there aboard H.M.S. Endurance, courtesy of The British Navy. He was flown by helicopter into the interior and painted some magnificent scenes of this lonely landscape, as well as recreations of Shackleton's expedition and documentation of the old buildings left by these and other brave men. He was the inspiration and a founding member of 'The United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust' which, under the patronage of Princess Anne, raises money to preserve the artifacts and huts of early explorers and to inform and educate the British people about their Antarctic heritage. He died in 1993, but the gallery remained open until 1997, run by his wife Betty. A kind, sincere and generous man, he is missed by many.