Harold Mockford
South Downs National Park
Local hero for:
Painter inspired by the landscape of the South Downs
More info:
Harold Mockford: images
Harold Mockford's talent was spotted by a London-based artist in the early 1960s
Affinity with South Downs
Born in 1932, Harold Mockford was evacuated from his home in the Eastbourne area during the Second World War. One of his earliest memories is of seeing the South Downs from a train window as he returned home – “seeing the shape of Butts Brow above Eastbourne meant I was home,” he says.
Where to see Harold's art
Harold Mockford’s work can be seen at The Towner Art Gallery, in Eastbourne and the Hove Museum and Art Gallery, in Hove, East Sussex.
From 'dentist' to artist
Having left school at 14 to become a dental ‘technician’, in his twenties Mockford joined a group of artists in Eastbourne and took up painting. In the early 1960s one of his pictures was being exhibited at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne in a group show with his fellow artists.
A well-known abstract artist from London, William Gear, was the curator of the exhibition. He spotted Mockford’s work and liked what he saw. Taken aback, Mockford offered to sell him the picture for £5 – only to be told it was worth at least 25 guineas. It was the start of a long painting career.
Inspired by the landscape
Most of Harold Mockford’s inspiration for his work comes from the South Downs landscape – especially the coastal area around Eastbourne, Berwick and Newhaven, where he now lives.
