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Brian Needham, who died in 2006, aged 69, was was well-known and regarded for his paintings of wild life. But he was also a respected art teacher, and a prolific painter of pub signs. He had developed a talent for art from an early age but, as a professional artist, he was largely self-taught.
Brian was born in Bradford and only started to paint professionally after a series of jobs, including cabinet making, engineering, and employment as a waiter. He completed his National Service in the Army, where he worked as a dog handler and trainer. After his discharge he moved to South Africa to train dogs for security purposes. But he was impressed by and drawn to the wild life on the country’s game reserves and began to draw and paint the animals and birds he saw around him. After moving back to Britain he became a professional artist and began to impress collectors with his bird and animal studies observed in Britain and elsewhere, often set against a semi-abstract background.
Scottish Wildcat. Image: in a private collection.
He exhibited his paintings widely both regionally and nationally. These were predominantly of wild life, but he also painted landscapes and portraits. He also became a pub licensee of the Sir Robert Peel in Westgate, and later of The Thornbury Hotel, Bradford. This led him to paint over 75 pub signs for premises around the country, including for the Jacobs Well pub in Bradford.
His paintings were also displayed inside the Jacobs Well pub, Bradford, where they were spotted by visiting show business personalities, including the comedian Russ Abbot, who was performing at the nearby Alhambra theatre. Russ Abbot purchased work and commissioned Brian to paint his portrait. Other celebrities from show business and sport, who collected his work included Pat Phoenix of ‘Coronation Street’ fame.
Stoat Stealing Birds Eggs. Image: in a private collection.
In the 1970s Brian established an art studio at Morley Street, Bradford, where he ran classes in watercolour, oil painting and wood engraving, for local people. He was well-regarded as an art teacher and he exhibited his students work in his own studio and encouraged them to develop their talents. These included the local artist, Jim Smith, who later become a professional artist himself.
Brian moved to larger premises in Manor Row, Bradford, where he continued to exhibit his own and students’ work, taught art, and organised painting trips to scenic and other interesting places in the district for visitors and local residents. His talent attracted students from nearby art colleges specifically to his drawing classes. He said of this: ‘Many of the college art students cannot draw well enough to satisfy commercial designers’ (Bradford ‘Telegraph & Argus’ , 27 Jan. 2006) . Brian was also an art tutor at the Cathedral Community Education centre in Bradford for over ten years.
Barn Owl & Field Mouse. Image: in a private collection.
In 1977 and 1978 he had watercolours accepted by the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour for their shows at the Mall Galleries in London. In 1978 he had a duo show, with fellow artist, Peter Wharton, at the Novotel Hotel, Bradford, and in 1980 he had a solo show of his artwork at Bradford Central Library. In 1983 an oil painting of a Zebra was chosen by the Yorkshire branch of the World Wildlife Fund for auction to boost its funds. In 1982 he was also chosen to be a guest artist at Disney World, Florida, and his paintings were also purchased and displayed by Disney. His work was also purchased by other commercial organisations, including the National and Provincial Building Society and De Beers Mining Corporation.
Bengal Tiger. Image: in a private collection.
Brian lived with his wife and five children in the Odsal area of Bradford. After his death from cancer, one of his former students, Christine Willan, organised a memorial exhibition of his work at the Bradford Industrial Museum. She said of him:
Brian touched many lives. He was keen to bring art to ordinary people, to get them interested in creating art and learning more about it. (Bradford ‘Telegraph & Argus‘ , 27 Jan. 2006).