Monet in Mind – Donald Hamilton Fraser

Posted: 17th May 2021

Donald Hamilton FRASER
b.1929 – d.2009
Blue Seascape 1957
Oil on canvas
Throughout his career Donald Hamilton Fraser predominantly focused on landscapes.
His Scottish descent and time spent studying in France can be seen in both the subject matter and execution.
The use of bright paint applied using a palette knife creates a sense of continual movement and atmosphere.
This type of layering effect acts similar to that of a collage, capturing the subtle shifts of nature from tranquil to chaotic.

Samuel Courtauld, the founder of The Courtauld, wrote poetry about the artworks in his collection. Following in his footsteps many years later, young people aged 16-25 from The Warren Youth Project in Hull, were inspired to compose their own creative writing and spoken word.

“Haiku based on Blue SeaScape 1957”
Brothers, sea and sky
Mirrors to the other’s mood
Until the clouds come

By Andrew Gooch

“Based on Blue Seascape 1957”

Drum roll please
Applaud and wave
Tiny little claps from the pebbles
Great crash! onto the walkway
I’m a favourite, they love me here
Britain’s tourist trap, baby
Even if I give them a cold-shoulder
For all of the year
Another drum roll
Bigger and better than ever
I’m an award-winner, baby
Great splash! onto the front page
You name it: artistry, photography,
I’m covered all over in galleries
Yet all these years I’ve got my secrecy
Might drown in my mystery
Keep it shallow, baby
Don’t take it
Too deeply,
Just remember
Drum roll, please.

By Sarah Magaharan

“Music of the Sea (based on Blue Seascape)”
The scope of all we can see,
a vision of blue to fill our eyes,
but below the surface,
more to draw us closer in.

The sound of water
can be heard in the largest masses,
and in tiny puddles,
if you search for it enough.
A calming rush; a fierce roar…
people’s activity might disturb it for a while,
but water still remains long past that,
called to where it flows.
A constant source of life,
of inspiration,
but a boundary,
where water might have a siren song,
but one where it also demands respect
in between all of the beauty it provides.

By Kelly Cartwright