Fisher's Favourite - Andy Beck

Today’s Fisher’s Favourite is artist Andy Beck

Apart from  one of his O levels being in art, Andy has had no further formal art training.
He lived and was educated in Northern Ireland, and often spent school holidays cycling around the Antrim Coast, stopping to sketch and paint.
On leaving school Andy joined the Royal Air Force and served in the RAF Regiment until 1988.
On leaving the forces Andy and his wife moved to North Yorkshire, supplying galleries countrywide with his wildlife and country scenes. 

Inspired by the work of Alfred Wainwright, Andy has undertaken a major project to produce a watercolour sketch of each of the 1500 illustrations drawn by AW in his seven volume A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Every single location for the illustrations has been meticulously researched so that Andy's references are taken from the exact location where AW stood to take his own black and white photographs. This has been a ten year labour of love by Andy and the book not only contains all of these sketches but each is accompanied with text describing the changes in the landscape as well as other interesting articles and features.

“The two images; one of myself and Bailey on Fleetwith Pike watching the sun go down over Buttermere, a fabulous evening prior to a wild camp on the summit. I was out on trip obtaining references for my Wainwrights in Colour project. The second image is a sketch from the book, The Langdale Pikes from Great Langdale. Wainwright used this composition in the Harrison Stickle chapter of book three, The Central Fells. Very unusual in that he rarely used a classic scene such as this in his Pictorial Guides.
I recall visiting Keswick and George Fishers in the early 1980’s on some of my first visits whilst we were on adventure training expeditions when I was in the Royal Air Force Regiment. It was the imposing building that stuck in my mind, having an almost church-like stature and postion. Little did I know then of it’s history and it’s attachment to George Fisher, The Abraham Brothers and their place in British Mountaineering history. I am not sure (age plays funny tricks) but I seem to recall buying a pair of Dachstein Mitts in the shop, they seemed expensive at the time but were the kit to have for cold days on the hills.”

We'd love to hear your stories too!

Learn more about our month of celebrations and competitions, and how to get involved here:
https://www.georgefisher.co.uk/news/2017-08-15-celebrate-with-us-enter-our-60th-anniversary-competitions/