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Sketches by Queenie Heath

My uncle, Henry Heath and his wife Queenie, settled in Brighton after the second world war at 28 Cannon Place. This is long gone and the area is now part of the Metropole Hotel building.

Henry continued to work as a comic-strip artist for many years into the 1960s, but Queenie gave up fashion magazine drawing, and dedicated herself to the beach, and getting a deep, dark-brown, sun-tan of the type you don‘t see these days except in far flung, and exotic places!

Whilst doing this she couldn’t help but continue to sketch, and here are  couple of examples. I assume from the clothes that they were executed in the 1960s.

 

Characters on Brighton beach
Artist: Queenie Heath
Characters on Brighton beach
Artist: Queenie Heath

Comments about this page

  • I love these sketches and the simplicity of the work. Myself having discovered the joy of painting watercolours a bit late in life, appreciate the flowing lines of the drawings. Now I would have to take my time drawing something like this but envy the artist as it can be seen how smooth and instant it can be if you have the talent, but I am slowly getting there; for me it is a learning curve. Take for instance the wall in the lower piece of work. With just a few lines depicting that there are bricks or cobbles in the wall (a suggestion) it works perfectly. No need for immense detail as the mere hint of a piece of masonry in the wall explains the whole wall. I would be pleased to hang these happy summer day pictures on my wall at home.

    By Mick Peirson (18/01/2015)
  • Thanks for the comments, Mick. Queenie went to St Martins in London. I have drawn and painted all my life, and it has been fun, and a distraction from the pressures that we all have over the years. Good luck with your graphic journey!

    By Stefan Bremner-Morris (19/01/2015)
  • Thanks for that Stefan. Painting watercolours seems to have been a replacement for my photography which I loved. I just wish I would have started painting a bit earlier in my life, but you are right it does take away the pressures of life. When I sit down at my painting table I am at peace with the world.

    By Mick Peirson (21/01/2015)
  • Hi Stefan – is it possible to buy prints of Queenie’s work please?

    By Geraldine Davies (19/09/2015)
  • Hi Stefan, these are great! Is it possible to see more of Queenie’s work? Did she sketch people in other areas around Brighton or just the beach?

    By Karen (30/11/2017)
  • Sorry for delay Geraldine, but life has been somewhat hectic, and I haven’t been on the site for ages!The drawings are not my property as such, but are photocopies of originals belonging to a family member. I’m not sure what you mean by ‘prints’, as there are various types costing different amounts, but they are not commercially available, if that’s what you mean. I would have to contact the family member to see if he would be agreeable.

    By Stefan Bremner-Morris (25/02/2018)

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