My print of Autumn Ash by P. Lightfoot On Wednesday night, I was delighted to get approached by a visitor to my website. Roland had taken an interest in the print by P. Lightfoot entitled “Autumn Ash” and featured in my gallery. It turns out that his parents own the original painting.
How cool is that?
Roland was interested in what I knew of the painting, its potential value and the artist. Here’s an extract from my response:
Thank you so much for getting in touch. With regards to P. Lightfoot though, I am afraid that I can’t offer any useful insight at all. I spent some time searching the internet for details of this artist and his/her work…
…and I am afraid I drew something of a blank. I know there was a least one other print from the “Ash” collection (image below) but I don’t know what it was called.
What is the original painting worth? I really don’t know. My guess is not a significant value given the difficulty in finding anything out about Lightfoot – but I am just a bloke that likes seventies stuff and that makes my point of view worth even less.
Value aside, it’s a great picture, I love my copy and am pleased to have it on display in my home. I am chuffed for your parents owning the original, and more than a little envious, if I am honest. I hope that they love it too and that it has pride of place on a wall somewhere.
I am delighted that you managed to find me and engage in some dialogue. This is the kind of interaction that makes running my own website worthwhile – you have made my day.
If you are able to send me a picture of your parent’s painting, I’d love to see what its colours are like.
Good luck with your investigations. If you find anything else about the artist or his/her portfolio, I’d love to know what you discover.
For me it’s slightly surreal that my old copy of this print (and small-space website article) has resulted in me discussing the original with the owners’ son - the internet really can make the world feel like a much smaller, more interesting place.
The exchange though didn’t end at this point, Roland and I have traded a few more emails since.
But first, a brief digression, if you will indulge me for a moment. In August 2014, the image I refer to (shared below but mentioned above in the note to Roland) was sent to me by another visitor that had found my site and asked if I knew the name of her print. I didn’t…
…but I may learn it in due course…
…because it turns out that Roland’s folks own the original of that print too. That’s even cooler!
And Siobhan, if I find out the name of it, I’ll be getting back in touch.
I have been advised that Autumn Ash was painted, and the picture presented to the Rogers family, when Roland’s sister was a baby. That dates the original painting to 1976, a fact that I am pleased to know bearing in mind that I had only guessed that my print had its roots in my favourite decade.
Though there are no guarantees, if I get any more insight about Lightfoot, or am sent photos of the original painting/s, I’ll share the details in due course.
As I state in my gallery post, Autumn Ash has a bleak feel about it. It is a real shame to report that Roland’s approach has an equally bleak aspect to it too. His mum recently passed away so, as thrilled as I was to be contacted, I am equally saddened that it is under such circumstances.
Desperately trying not to be crass; I once heard an Aston Martin owner make the statement that “one didn’t so much own an Aston as look after it for the next generation”. Art is like that too, all of us move on eventually - but art endures.
My thoughts are with the Rogers family as the members deal with their grief.
How cool is that?
Roland was interested in what I knew of the painting, its potential value and the artist. Here’s an extract from my response:
Thank you so much for getting in touch. With regards to P. Lightfoot though, I am afraid that I can’t offer any useful insight at all. I spent some time searching the internet for details of this artist and his/her work…
…and I am afraid I drew something of a blank. I know there was a least one other print from the “Ash” collection (image below) but I don’t know what it was called.
What is the original painting worth? I really don’t know. My guess is not a significant value given the difficulty in finding anything out about Lightfoot – but I am just a bloke that likes seventies stuff and that makes my point of view worth even less.
Value aside, it’s a great picture, I love my copy and am pleased to have it on display in my home. I am chuffed for your parents owning the original, and more than a little envious, if I am honest. I hope that they love it too and that it has pride of place on a wall somewhere.
I am delighted that you managed to find me and engage in some dialogue. This is the kind of interaction that makes running my own website worthwhile – you have made my day.
If you are able to send me a picture of your parent’s painting, I’d love to see what its colours are like.
Good luck with your investigations. If you find anything else about the artist or his/her portfolio, I’d love to know what you discover.
For me it’s slightly surreal that my old copy of this print (and small-space website article) has resulted in me discussing the original with the owners’ son - the internet really can make the world feel like a much smaller, more interesting place.
The exchange though didn’t end at this point, Roland and I have traded a few more emails since.
But first, a brief digression, if you will indulge me for a moment. In August 2014, the image I refer to (shared below but mentioned above in the note to Roland) was sent to me by another visitor that had found my site and asked if I knew the name of her print. I didn’t…
…but I may learn it in due course…
…because it turns out that Roland’s folks own the original of that print too. That’s even cooler!
And Siobhan, if I find out the name of it, I’ll be getting back in touch.
I have been advised that Autumn Ash was painted, and the picture presented to the Rogers family, when Roland’s sister was a baby. That dates the original painting to 1976, a fact that I am pleased to know bearing in mind that I had only guessed that my print had its roots in my favourite decade.
Though there are no guarantees, if I get any more insight about Lightfoot, or am sent photos of the original painting/s, I’ll share the details in due course.
As I state in my gallery post, Autumn Ash has a bleak feel about it. It is a real shame to report that Roland’s approach has an equally bleak aspect to it too. His mum recently passed away so, as thrilled as I was to be contacted, I am equally saddened that it is under such circumstances.
Desperately trying not to be crass; I once heard an Aston Martin owner make the statement that “one didn’t so much own an Aston as look after it for the next generation”. Art is like that too, all of us move on eventually - but art endures.
My thoughts are with the Rogers family as the members deal with their grief.
Stepping Stones by P. Lightfoot
March 2016 update - the title of the print above is "Stepping Stones"
"Evening Lake" Peter Lightfoot June 21st 2018 UPDATE
A pleasurable exchange of notes with Kieran today who has been in touch about the Peter Lightfoot blog post. Kieran has another print from the same series as “Autumn Ash” and “Stepping Stones”.
His, entitled “Evening Lake” and shared across, is different from the other Lightfoot prints I have seen because, instead of being monochromatic, it’s more colourful. Though the shot is grainy, the blues are obvious and the green evident.
To be frank, I would have expected Peter Lightfoot to use more colour rather than less, maybe the version of Autumn Ash that I have was a monochromatic/sepia type treatment applied to the print in a later production run.
I wonder if the original painting was more colourful too?
In the article above, my liaison with Roland Rogers didn’t result in me seeing any photos of his original paintings, so I don’t know … but I suspect.
Kieran advises that his print, on board and framed much like mine, was originally purchased from Roy Edwards Fine Arts in Portadown in Northern Ireland. His print, again like mine, having been enjoyed by other members of his family before him, is in effect a family heirloom too.
I hope this latest post update interests you. My thanks to Kieran for getting in touch.
A pleasurable exchange of notes with Kieran today who has been in touch about the Peter Lightfoot blog post. Kieran has another print from the same series as “Autumn Ash” and “Stepping Stones”.
His, entitled “Evening Lake” and shared across, is different from the other Lightfoot prints I have seen because, instead of being monochromatic, it’s more colourful. Though the shot is grainy, the blues are obvious and the green evident.
To be frank, I would have expected Peter Lightfoot to use more colour rather than less, maybe the version of Autumn Ash that I have was a monochromatic/sepia type treatment applied to the print in a later production run.
I wonder if the original painting was more colourful too?
In the article above, my liaison with Roland Rogers didn’t result in me seeing any photos of his original paintings, so I don’t know … but I suspect.
Kieran advises that his print, on board and framed much like mine, was originally purchased from Roy Edwards Fine Arts in Portadown in Northern Ireland. His print, again like mine, having been enjoyed by other members of his family before him, is in effect a family heirloom too.
I hope this latest post update interests you. My thanks to Kieran for getting in touch.
Reflections - Peter Lightfoot print 9th October 2020 UPDATE - An eighties take on the Lightfoot landscape
Reader, Jacky Thomas got in touch with me recently. Having read the original blog post, here’s what Jacky had to say:
“I have a Peter Lightfoot print called 'Reflections' S4749, framed by Venture Prints, Bristol. It shows a slightly surreal scene of a lake with trees surrounding it. Lots of bright greens"
Following the website engagement, I replied and asked to see a picture of the print.
Jacky got back in touch and shared the images associated with this update, the right portion showing the signature.
Conceptually the scene has some obvious similarities to Autumn Ash, Stepping Stones and Evening Lake, but the artistic treatment has been updated to have a thoroughly eighties feel to it. And, whilst still being a landscape in composition terms, the orientation of this print is actually portrait, just to add some linguistic confusion to the description.
There’s not much out there in cyberspace about Peter Lightfoot, it’s probably why my site has had so many visits associated with his work. The decidedly niche topic has prompted some good dialogue and I for one am pleased to see how the art evolved over time (Jacky’s print is dated 1985). Hope you like it too.
Reader, Jacky Thomas got in touch with me recently. Having read the original blog post, here’s what Jacky had to say:
“I have a Peter Lightfoot print called 'Reflections' S4749, framed by Venture Prints, Bristol. It shows a slightly surreal scene of a lake with trees surrounding it. Lots of bright greens"
Following the website engagement, I replied and asked to see a picture of the print.
Jacky got back in touch and shared the images associated with this update, the right portion showing the signature.
Conceptually the scene has some obvious similarities to Autumn Ash, Stepping Stones and Evening Lake, but the artistic treatment has been updated to have a thoroughly eighties feel to it. And, whilst still being a landscape in composition terms, the orientation of this print is actually portrait, just to add some linguistic confusion to the description.
There’s not much out there in cyberspace about Peter Lightfoot, it’s probably why my site has had so many visits associated with his work. The decidedly niche topic has prompted some good dialogue and I for one am pleased to see how the art evolved over time (Jacky’s print is dated 1985). Hope you like it too.
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