The much loved and admired pastel artist and tutor, Keith Stott, SWAc, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday 7 January 2020.
Keith’s early life was spent in the wool textile industry in the north of England and he went on to establish mills in India and Pakistan where he lived and worked for 13 years. Consequently his foray in to the art world came quite late in life. His career in textiles did assist him, as his training in colour continuity instilled in him an incredible recall of the tones of the landscape of his beloved Dartmoor. He was able to commit to memory the myriad of moorland tones under huge billowing skies that became the bedrock of his work.
As a committed walker and climber dating back to his days of tackling the Western Himalayas, even in his 70s he would think nothing of heading off on a 12 mile yomp across Dartmoor to find the exact view from which a painting would emerge. By contrast, he developed a love for rugged Jurassic coastline and captured the beautiful seascapes as well as the lovely gentle countryside.
His work was recognised and welcomed by the Davidson Fine Art Gallery in Totnes, where he exhibited constantly and spent many hours painting and demonstrating his fine talent.
Keith was also a gifted teacher and was hugely generous with his knowledge; he was much loved and respected by the many amateur artists who frequented his workshops at Sherborne ArtsLink and Shaftesbury Arts Centre. Pastel is a notoriously difficult medium with which to work and yet he made it look so user friendly and easy.
He was elected Academician to the South West Academy of Fine Arts in 2017 and exhibited with them regularly, in Exeter, St Ives, and Delamore and his work is in collections in both the UK and abroad.
Keith was a man of great integrity and old fashioned values, polite and caring to a fault. Everyone who had the privilege of knowing him will miss him enormously. His ashes will be interred at the Yealmpton Woodland Burial Site in the Spring, when his favourite primroses will be in bloom. Date and time will be announced nearer the time. His website lives on for the time being: www.artsofoak.com
Obituary notice:
KEITH STOTT, SWAc
Artist and Tutor
At dawn on Tuesday 7th January, at home, he
slipped away to find his beloved Muse on
Dartmoor. All was peaceful and calm.
Christine, Penny-Anne and
his adored grand-daughters Elodie and Sophie
thank you for your wonderful support and love.
There will be a celebration of his life and work
in Shaftesbury on 2nd February. Please see
his website for details (www.artsofoak.com)
His ashes will be interred in the
Woodland Burial Ground, Yealmpton,
when the primroses are in full bloom.
Date and time will announced later.
Christine Stott: 01747 852507 / 0777 391 4023 / christine@artsofoak.com
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