Reg Gammon was a British painter who was born in 1894, he was an excellent and successful illustrator who, thanks to the lucky chance of foul weather on a sketching holiday in Ireland when he was well into his sixties, turned to oil paint in desperation after his watercolours were repeatedly washed away by the rain. The moment was one of rapture. All his carefully nurtured illustrative skills were abandoned in the discovery of the fiery joys of oils.
Numerous works by the artist have been sold at auction, including ‘A Dublin corner shop’ sold at Bonhams Knightsbridge ‘Modern Pictures ‘ in 2004.
He had a healthy distrust of popularity, but his reputation grew and in 1986, the year after an outstanding retrospective at the RWA, came his first London one-man show, at the New Grafton Gallery. The reviews were excellent and four one-man exhibitions at the New Grafton followed, before a 100th birthday retrospective at the RWA.
After such a long, happy and fulfilled life – the prolific flow and high standard of his work continued until the end – Reg Gammon died with a single regret. He had longed to see in the 21st century. The artist died in 1997.