The artist, Chris (Christopher) Graham Wade (1954 – 2008) enjoyed a period of success in the 1980s and early 1990s for his landscape artwork and for commissioned work illustrating classic performance cars and aircraft paintings. He was also a musician and song-writer, who forged a close working relationship with the Bradford-formed band, ‘Smokie’ and with Jenny Haan’s Lion.
Chris was born in Ilkley and lived at Wellington Road. His great, great, great uncle was the Lancashire-born Victorian landscape artist, Thomas Wade (1828-1891). After completing his secondary education, Chris studied graphic design at Bradford School of Art in 1972 and after leaving college worked as a commercial illustrator. However, he also developed his own artwork specialising in watercolour Yorkshire Dales scenes.
His landscape artworks were well-received at British Watercolour Society and Yorkshire Artists’ exhibitions in the region, and in 1987 he decided to concentrate on his own freelance work. Landscapes scenes predominated, but his work also included aviation, railway, and classic motor car subjects.
‘Mistry Morning Above Heber’s Ghyll, Ilkley Moor.’ Image: in a private collection.
In 1989 two of his regional landscape paintings were published as limited edition prints by Peacock Editions, a Ripon based company, and an airbrush painting of a 427 Cobra classic performance car was also produced as a limited edition print by the Hotcake Trading Company in Bradford. In the same year the Royal Engineers, based at Ripon, commissioned Chris to paint RAF engineers at work in Germany building bases for Harriet jump jets.
In the mid 1990s Chris led one-day courses in landscape painting for the Yorkshire Dales National Park. His lively personality led to a number of TV appearances, where he demonstrated his painting techniques.
In parallel with his visual artwork, Chris also played with various bands around the North of England on lead guitar and vocals, including in the 1970s with Jenny Haan’s Lion. He is still fondly remembered by Jenny Haan and band members for his wit, musicianship, and energy.
Chris Wade, the musician, on stage. Image: Jenny Haan.
In the 1980s he also formed a close partnership with Alan Silson from the Bradford-formed band, ‘Smokie’ and wrote the lyrics for a number of their successful numbers, including ‘Respect’, released as a single by the band in 1992.
He lived during the latter part of his life at Threshfield, North Yorkshire, and died from cancer in 2008.