"Glynn Porteous is one of the greatest artists this country has ever produced”
- Graeme Miles - Artist, Composer, Musician -
Glynn was born on the 24th April 1935, the second son of John Chadwick Porteous, fitter and turner at Cargo Fleet Iron and Steel Works and a staunch union man. His wife Jean (nee Elstob) was a lovely singer and had taken music lessons in her teens. Glynn had an older brother, Peter and three younger sisters, Marion, Jennifer and Rosalind. Apparently when Glynn was about three years old and sitting in his little bathtub, his mother washing him, he said to her “I don’t want to grow up”, thank heaven he did.
Many years later Glynn exhibited a rather macabre painting entitled ‘Fear of Growing Old’ and prior to his 2001 exhibition at Kirkleatham Museum he was commissioned to build a model, depicting a Victorian funeral procession, taking place at Kirkleatham church. Although he had worked so very hard to complete this in time for the exhibition, it was exhibited unfinished. Time was against him, in more ways than one, for sadly Glynn was becoming ill and he passed away on the 24th January 2003.
Many years later Glynn exhibited a rather macabre painting entitled ‘Fear of Growing Old’ and prior to his 2001 exhibition at Kirkleatham Museum he was commissioned to build a model, depicting a Victorian funeral procession, taking place at Kirkleatham church. Although he had worked so very hard to complete this in time for the exhibition, it was exhibited unfinished. Time was against him, in more ways than one, for sadly Glynn was becoming ill and he passed away on the 24th January 2003.
"This lad's a genius."
- Joe Cole - Art School Tutor -
I first met Glynn on New Years day 1960. I had left home in Middlesbrough after Christmas, to join two ex-art students in Flat 1. No.4, Colville Gardens, Notting Hill. They were both milliners; Veronica worked for Woollands of Knightsbridge and Carole was freelancing. I was an unemployed clerk. Glynn arrived back from his Christmas break in Middlesbrough and on my second day in London, he came to the flat. That was my very first meeting with Glynn Porteous. He was so funny, so witty, he could certainly make me laugh, completely putting me at my ease, I was feeling extremely nervous as this was my first time away from home.
Glynn still had a few days holiday left, so he took me to the Hammersmith Labour Exchange to sign on. I immediately got an interview for a job with Cyanamid in Bush House and Glynn took me for the interview. I got the job and for the first few weeks until I got used to the underground, Glynn met me every morning and took me to Bush House. Sometimes we met on the Strand for a coffee at lunchtime, then he would meet me every evening to take me home. I still have the very first drawing Glynn drew of me, which was signed G.Porteous – with love.
The area where we lived in Notting Hill, close to Portobello Road, was a community of ex Middlesbrough College of Art students, all making their way in life. Glynn was working at that time at Studio Venture, a commercial studio on William the Fourth Street off Trafalgar Square. He was very popular amongst his fellow artists, for his wit, his humour and highly respected for his art. Often everyone would congregate at Flat 1, where Glynn would be chief entertainer. He had a remarkable memory for telling jokes.
Glynn’s keen interest in art was discovered at Marton Grove School and he was encouraged to develop his talent at Middlesbrough College of Art which at that time was located on the top floor of the Constantine Technical College. He was initially accepted to study there for one year, but remained for four. In order to complete the National Diploma in design work. He then won a place at the Slade School of Art.
Glynn received a congratulatory note from the Principal of Middlesbrough College of Art:
Dear Porteous, Well done!
Yours sincerely - G.G. Barnett'
'GG. Barnett.D.A. (Edin) F.S.A.E of the College of Art, The Crescent, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough.
Well done indeed! Glynn was the only student from Middlesbrough to be accepted by the Slade that year and a letter acknowledging his success arrived from Stanley Hirst B.Sc. The Director of Education. Glynn was to join the Slade in October 1955, this didn’t happen, as he had to do two years National Service. He became 23172399 Trooper Porteous.G. 6th. Royal Tank Regiment, serving in Germany, Malta the Suez Campaign and North Africa then Bulford.
Glynn still had a few days holiday left, so he took me to the Hammersmith Labour Exchange to sign on. I immediately got an interview for a job with Cyanamid in Bush House and Glynn took me for the interview. I got the job and for the first few weeks until I got used to the underground, Glynn met me every morning and took me to Bush House. Sometimes we met on the Strand for a coffee at lunchtime, then he would meet me every evening to take me home. I still have the very first drawing Glynn drew of me, which was signed G.Porteous – with love.
The area where we lived in Notting Hill, close to Portobello Road, was a community of ex Middlesbrough College of Art students, all making their way in life. Glynn was working at that time at Studio Venture, a commercial studio on William the Fourth Street off Trafalgar Square. He was very popular amongst his fellow artists, for his wit, his humour and highly respected for his art. Often everyone would congregate at Flat 1, where Glynn would be chief entertainer. He had a remarkable memory for telling jokes.
Glynn’s keen interest in art was discovered at Marton Grove School and he was encouraged to develop his talent at Middlesbrough College of Art which at that time was located on the top floor of the Constantine Technical College. He was initially accepted to study there for one year, but remained for four. In order to complete the National Diploma in design work. He then won a place at the Slade School of Art.
Glynn received a congratulatory note from the Principal of Middlesbrough College of Art:
Dear Porteous, Well done!
Yours sincerely - G.G. Barnett'
'GG. Barnett.D.A. (Edin) F.S.A.E of the College of Art, The Crescent, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough.
Well done indeed! Glynn was the only student from Middlesbrough to be accepted by the Slade that year and a letter acknowledging his success arrived from Stanley Hirst B.Sc. The Director of Education. Glynn was to join the Slade in October 1955, this didn’t happen, as he had to do two years National Service. He became 23172399 Trooper Porteous.G. 6th. Royal Tank Regiment, serving in Germany, Malta the Suez Campaign and North Africa then Bulford.
"Looking at the range of work in the current exhibition, both in style and media, one cannot help but be impressed by the technique, talent and professionalism of one who must surely be numbered among the outstanding artists of our time - Sheer genius."
- Kirkleatham exhibition 2001 David lee - official biographer and close friend. -
In 1957 while on board the T.T. Devonshire, Glynn entered a talent spotting competition which was part of an Easter entertainment, organised to relieve the frequent boredom of shipboard life. Trooper Porteous’ comedy act won him first prize. Glynn’s rather zany humour was often likened to that of Spike Milligan. Eventually Glynn was demobbed and back on Civvie Street.
It wasn’t long before he received a letter from I.E. Tregarthen Jenkin, Secretary of the Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London, asking him if he still intended to take up his place. By the 30th September 1957 he had registered in the college faculty of arts, where he resumed his art training. Since then Glynn’s career has centred around the world of commercial art and design, beginning at Studio Venture. He joined a design studio in Chester before returning to Middlesbrough, where he freelanced prior to becoming Artist/Model Maker at the Department of Engineering, County Borough of Teesside, (subsequently County of Cleveland) where Glynn stayed for nineteen years.
On retiring Glynn resumed his freelance work. Together we opened Porteous Galerie at No: 359, Linthorpe Road, I ran the shop selling high quality artists materials, books and art related gifts, etc. Glynn worked in his studio above. He received commissions for traditional pub signs including a sculpture of an almost life size lion, for the Golden Lion pub in Bedlington. He built a replica Locomotion I. Two thirds of the original size, for Stockton Council. In addition Glynn made models and created dioramas of Napoleonic military scenes which were entered in competitions in London, Paris and Brussels, winning first prizes on a number of occasions. The last competition he entered, he won first prize – the prize being a painting by Eugene Lelipre – Artist to the French army, Glynn felt that this was a great honour. Most of Glynn’s dioramas were sold to one client, who on moving to a smaller house, no longer had room to display them and sent them all to auction. I tried to trace the buyers but the auction house hadn’t kept records, so Glynn’s prized dioramas are lost forever.
Glynn loved model making and sculpting, was not always so enthusiastic about commercial art but he had to make a living. He was so talented he could turn his hand to anything, his first love was painting, especially imaginative work. He was invited to hold a one man exhibition at Middlesbrough’s Municipal Art Gallery in 1979, which was a huge success since then Glynn has shown his paintings in Darlington Art Gallery, Walton Galleries Guisborough, National Gallery Middlesbrough, his final exhibition was held in Kirkleatham Hall Museum in 2001. Phil Philo was the Curator at this time and purchased one of Glynns finest paintings’ Travelling Companions’ after the Victorian artist Augustus Egg. It is now in the museums permanent collection. People had travelled from all over the country to see Glynn’s work it was such a success – little did we know then that this would be Glynn’s last exhibition.
It wasn’t long before he received a letter from I.E. Tregarthen Jenkin, Secretary of the Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London, asking him if he still intended to take up his place. By the 30th September 1957 he had registered in the college faculty of arts, where he resumed his art training. Since then Glynn’s career has centred around the world of commercial art and design, beginning at Studio Venture. He joined a design studio in Chester before returning to Middlesbrough, where he freelanced prior to becoming Artist/Model Maker at the Department of Engineering, County Borough of Teesside, (subsequently County of Cleveland) where Glynn stayed for nineteen years.
On retiring Glynn resumed his freelance work. Together we opened Porteous Galerie at No: 359, Linthorpe Road, I ran the shop selling high quality artists materials, books and art related gifts, etc. Glynn worked in his studio above. He received commissions for traditional pub signs including a sculpture of an almost life size lion, for the Golden Lion pub in Bedlington. He built a replica Locomotion I. Two thirds of the original size, for Stockton Council. In addition Glynn made models and created dioramas of Napoleonic military scenes which were entered in competitions in London, Paris and Brussels, winning first prizes on a number of occasions. The last competition he entered, he won first prize – the prize being a painting by Eugene Lelipre – Artist to the French army, Glynn felt that this was a great honour. Most of Glynn’s dioramas were sold to one client, who on moving to a smaller house, no longer had room to display them and sent them all to auction. I tried to trace the buyers but the auction house hadn’t kept records, so Glynn’s prized dioramas are lost forever.
Glynn loved model making and sculpting, was not always so enthusiastic about commercial art but he had to make a living. He was so talented he could turn his hand to anything, his first love was painting, especially imaginative work. He was invited to hold a one man exhibition at Middlesbrough’s Municipal Art Gallery in 1979, which was a huge success since then Glynn has shown his paintings in Darlington Art Gallery, Walton Galleries Guisborough, National Gallery Middlesbrough, his final exhibition was held in Kirkleatham Hall Museum in 2001. Phil Philo was the Curator at this time and purchased one of Glynns finest paintings’ Travelling Companions’ after the Victorian artist Augustus Egg. It is now in the museums permanent collection. People had travelled from all over the country to see Glynn’s work it was such a success – little did we know then that this would be Glynn’s last exhibition.
“A best friend and without doubt the funniest man I ever knew.”
- Mike Cumiskey - Sculptor -
Glynn wrote and illustrated an article which described the making of one of his prize winning dioramas ‘At the Well’ for an American military modelling magazine ‘Campaigns’. It was said to be one of the best pieces ever produced in this magazine. ‘Military Modelling’ magazine regularly showed Glynn’s prize winning dioramas, which was where Phil Philo first saw Glynn’s masterpieces, Phil was just a boy then taking a keen interest in military modelling, he hoped that one day he would meet Glynn Porteous and of course he did.
Glynn was commissioned to make a diorama of a Victorian Theatre by Mr David Kilpatrick for his World in Miniature Museum, Oban, Scotland. It was an amazing feat, took ten years in the making and became David Kilpatrick’s pride and joy. Her Majesty the Queen visited ‘World in Miniature’ and spent a long time looking at Glynn’s theatre, she kept saying “how extraordinary!” and over stayed her time in the little museum.
David Kilpatrick retired and because he wanted all his miniature treasures to be seen, he sold his entire collection to Bob and Dorothy Gault, who are real miniature enthusiasts and have opened a World in Miniature Museum at Houghton Hall Garden Centre, Carlisle. I’ve been told that Glynn’s theatre is in pride of place. They sent me a catalogue showing an excellent picture of the theatre across two pages of the introduction. They also have one of my most favourite diorama scenes ‘The Finding of Moses’ which was inspired by a painting by Sir. Laurence Alma Tadema. I hope to visit Houghton Hall one day to see Glynn’s amazing works of art… MASTERPIECES!
Glynn was commissioned to make a diorama of a Victorian Theatre by Mr David Kilpatrick for his World in Miniature Museum, Oban, Scotland. It was an amazing feat, took ten years in the making and became David Kilpatrick’s pride and joy. Her Majesty the Queen visited ‘World in Miniature’ and spent a long time looking at Glynn’s theatre, she kept saying “how extraordinary!” and over stayed her time in the little museum.
David Kilpatrick retired and because he wanted all his miniature treasures to be seen, he sold his entire collection to Bob and Dorothy Gault, who are real miniature enthusiasts and have opened a World in Miniature Museum at Houghton Hall Garden Centre, Carlisle. I’ve been told that Glynn’s theatre is in pride of place. They sent me a catalogue showing an excellent picture of the theatre across two pages of the introduction. They also have one of my most favourite diorama scenes ‘The Finding of Moses’ which was inspired by a painting by Sir. Laurence Alma Tadema. I hope to visit Houghton Hall one day to see Glynn’s amazing works of art… MASTERPIECES!