Dennis Lewis RWA FCSD
02 April 1928 – 05 December 2014
Born in Bristol on 2nd April 1928, Dennis left school at 14 to work in lithographic printing. He soon discovered his true vocation was art. A five year artist apprenticeship required at least two years full time art school training, so Dennis took himself to art college in the evenings until he was called up and joined the Glosters in 1948.
After serving in Jamaica and British Honduras in the Intelligence and Education Section he returned to his old firm John Lee & Son who were now incorporated into Bennett Brothers (Counterslip). The Art Studio Manager and Artists saw Dennis’s work and voted him into The Society of Lithographic Artists on a special shortened apprenticeship.
In 1951 Dennis married Maggie and was blessed with 63 happy years of marriage and three children. Dennis painted whenever possible but sought wider design experience. In 1955 he joined Decor Advertising which specialised in silk screen printing and exhibition display. Two years later he was appointed Assistant Studio Manager at Ford’s Advertising.
Between 1960 and 1980 Dennis was Creative Director at Ford’s and from 1980 to 1990, Design Group Chairman. He was also an occasional guest lecturer in 3D design for numerous institutions. He served on the Council of the RWA from 1984 to 1986 and was a member of the selection committee for the annual exhibition. A life member of the Bristol Savages (a society of artists), Dennis was president three times between 1973 and 1990.
He became a member of the Society of Industrial Artists in 1970 and was elected to Fellowship of the Chartered Society of Designers in 1986. His company and the design team he headed won various awards for 3D retail design nationally and internationally.
Dennis retired in 1990 to paint most days at his studio at Portishead.
With one exception, Dennis has shown his paintings at the RWA and the Bristol Savages annual exhibitions every year since 1963. He has had many one-man exhibitions, had work accepted by the Royal Academy and worked on chosen commissions, including portraits and a 5 metre long mural of the Bristol Channel.
Dennis’s painting and design skills are evident in the range subjects he covered and the equally broad range of styles and techniques he enjoyed using to answer the creative concept.
In a catalogue for a one-man exhibition at Oatley House in 2005, Dennis said of his painting:
“Of course, there are many reasons to paint apart from making a living. Some of mine are: to express feelings; to make a statement; to record a moment; to decorate; to design; and just for fun. My personal pleasure is to experience as many variations in style, size and subject as I can. So when you look at one of my paintings you may like to guess my reasons for painting it.”
Dennis will be greatly missed by all who knew him.