Pinner Sketch Club - Artist of the week 23 April
Eleanor Clavin news reporter enjoyed finding out about our artist of the week . Sylvia Kingsley is a long-standing member of Pinner Sketch Club, having been a member for around 30 years. As a young child, Sylvia had a love of colour and enjoyed painting from an early age. This love of painting continued into later life as Sylvia’s passion was nurtured by painter friends, visits to galleries and meetings with professional artists. “It’s a lifetime of learning!”
Sylvia had an incredible career working as a journalist for a national newspaper, having worked with Commonwealth and American news agencies. She acknowledges how lucky she was to gain this role during an era when writers were predominantly male.
Sylvia worked firstly as a feature writer interviewing “interesting people”, visiting fashion and art shows and even attending Buckingham Palace Garden parties and investiture ceremonies.
She later became a travel writer, which allowed her to visit an array of countries and to become one of the first journalists to visit Cuba. Most memorably, Sylvia visited India four times. During these visits, she had the opportunity to stay at the Rajasthan palace and have tea with the Maharani. She recalls the Palace band playing British tunes in the Sunset. “They would play by ear and wear suits with Scottish braid trimmings, and Scottish Berets.”
Travelling, therefore, maintains a huge influence on Sylvia’s artwork as she uses her creativity to capture memories of the people and places that she has visited.
Sylvia also embraces nature and enjoys painting flowers and landscape scenes. She often visits Pinner park to be around nature, sketch and see friends. For Sylvia, art is a wonderful way to socialise with friends and meet new people such as through the supportive Pinner Sketch Club.
The Indian Market scene: Inspired by Sylvia’s visit as a travel writer to the Delhi Region in India
Fidel Castro portrait: Inspired by Sylvia’s three trips to Cuba. Pictures of him were proudly displayed in many areas.
Musician pictures from Tobago in West Indies: Sylvia describes the people that she met as music-loving - ”music was always within earshot”.
With acknowledgement to Andy Moloney and family, for their friendship and continued support
Special thanks to Sylvia's art tutors - Angela Pearcey and Roy Rodgers for their support.
For enquiries about Sylvia's art, send her an email at: sylvia.kingsley@btinternet.com