Budleigh Past and Present

        An update from the studio of Budleigh artist John Washington which will be of special interest both to British Devonians with links to East Budleigh and American residents of Gloucester, Massachusetts.  John is continuing to work on his painting of the celebrated 1625 scene at Fishermen’s Field. That was when Roger Conant intervened and avoided possible bloodshed in the confrontation between fishermen from England’s West Country, led by John Hewes, and Captain Miles Standish, military adviser to the Plymouth Pilgrims: 'I thought you might like to see the fishermen who now have their characters more clearly identified in their faces,' he writes.  'Also, I’ve brought more detail into Tablet Rock at the back as that is such a well known landmark in the context of the story.' 'Next on the left hand side of the painting is to work on the hogshead salt barrels to bring them into line with the rest of the painting - more paint, more  colour, more dept...

John Washington’s working drawing in preparation for his painting of a famous episode in Roger Conant’s life  I’ve always loved the idea of America as a refuge for the persecuted peoples of the Old World, a place where 18 th century ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity would flourish, and where justice for all was seen as fundamental to society. So for all admirers of America and what that great country should represent for the world the current news from across the Atlantic is understandably distressing. I’d like to think that celebrating the life of Roger Conant - a peacemaker from America’s history – may be seen as an antidote to the bad news. And now, thanks to Budleigh artist John Washington, our East Budleigh-based Conant 400 Group has a wonderful project. It’s the painting of a famous episode of 1625 in the life of this Massachusetts pioneer who was celebrated for his meticulous honesty, his attitude of tolerance and conciliation, and what...