Look in the index of my biography: 'The Remarkable Life of Jago Stone' for the name: Mark Donohoe and you will find the page references are 118, and 120-1. Check out the pages and you will find Marks's childhood memories of the artist, together with an image of a photo of Jago holding the watercolour of Sulgrave Manor, the ancestral home of George Washington, with US embassy officials on either side. That work of art was Jago's gift to the American president and people in 1976, the year of bicentennial celebrations of American independence. Mark's gift to me was the image of that original photograph.
Mark has kept in touch and last week sent me the image of the painting I had not seen before - the one of Hanwell Castle, referenced in the text of the biography. Here it is:
 |
| Hanwell Castle - Jago Stone (c.1975) |
This is what Mark added to the story he had already related:
On 2020-06-20 17:54, Mark A. Donohoe wrote:
I’ll also see if I could get more information on those two paintings I just found. We actually have them strewn all throughout our family. There’s probably a lot more. Our family spent a lot of time with him.
Like I said in an earlier email, one of my fondest childhood memories was him Making a painting of a Lego spaceship that I had created. I was so fascinated by how he didn’t draw all the studs of the pieces, just a few, but you still knew what it was. I’ll never forget both being fascinated at his technique, as well as seeing my spaceship in artist form.
Now *that* was a Jago Stone original. I see lots of paintings that look like the ones he did for my family, but I’ve never seen another one of Lego. Definitely one of a kind. Alas, unfortunately one that is lost to the ages.
Like I said in an earlier email, one of my fondest childhood memories was him Making a painting of a Lego spaceship that I had created. I was so fascinated by how he didn’t draw all the studs of the pieces, just a few, but you still knew what it was. I’ll never forget both being fascinated at his technique, as well as seeing my spaceship in artist form.
Now *that* was a Jago Stone original. I see lots of paintings that look like the ones he did for my family, but I’ve never seen another one of Lego. Definitely one of a kind. Alas, unfortunately one that is lost to the ages.
------------------------------------------------
Sunday 21 June, 2020
Can’t remember if I sent you this one before. This one is hanging in
my brother Chris’s house. This is Hanwell Castle in Oxfordshire. We
actually had the fortune to rent this place, and for only 100 pounds a
month, which at the time was equivalent to US$240. We rented it from
a professor John L Buxton who was away and just wanted somebody to
watch the place while he was gone. Wow my brother has the painting, I
have the original lease.
The only requirement was that we washed the linens which were pretty
substantial hanging in the great Hall. That and we weren’t allowed up
in the turrets, I guess for safety reasons.
We actually have stories about it being haunted that were corroborated
by the groundskeeper as well as a young couple, Barry and Nicki, who
were staying in the stable houses there. But the main property, the 30
rooms, that was us.
my brother Chris’s house. This is Hanwell Castle in Oxfordshire. We
actually had the fortune to rent this place, and for only 100 pounds a
month, which at the time was equivalent to US$240. We rented it from
a professor John L Buxton who was away and just wanted somebody to
watch the place while he was gone. Wow my brother has the painting, I
have the original lease.
The only requirement was that we washed the linens which were pretty
substantial hanging in the great Hall. That and we weren’t allowed up
in the turrets, I guess for safety reasons.
We actually have stories about it being haunted that were corroborated
by the groundskeeper as well as a young couple, Barry and Nicki, who
were staying in the stable houses there. But the main property, the 30
rooms, that was us.
------------------------------------------------
Tuesday 23 June, 2020
Quick question… Now that the book is out, are you done with this endeavor, or are you keeping it going? I’m asking because we may be able to on earth even more paintings, but from your book, it looks like you’ve ran into hundreds of people with potentially thousands of pictures So I’m not actually sure if this is helping.
If you are continuing to do this, Jago actually spent a lot of time at our house, and my mom has tons of stories to share. First between 75 and 77, then again when we went back between 80 and 83. My mom even knew his girlfriend who later became his wife as she spent time at our place too.
Again, don’t know if this information is too little too late, or would’ve ended up on the editing room Floor considering the impressive contacts you apparently did make while researching the book. Still, let me know I’m happy to share. I’m sure even a phone conversation with my mom talking about him might help shed some light on other aspects not yet covered.
Mark
PS, forgive any typos and such. I dictated this with my voice on my phone.
If you are continuing to do this, Jago actually spent a lot of time at our house, and my mom has tons of stories to share. First between 75 and 77, then again when we went back between 80 and 83. My mom even knew his girlfriend who later became his wife as she spent time at our place too.
Again, don’t know if this information is too little too late, or would’ve ended up on the editing room Floor considering the impressive contacts you apparently did make while researching the book. Still, let me know I’m happy to share. I’m sure even a phone conversation with my mom talking about him might help shed some light on other aspects not yet covered.
Mark
PS, forgive any typos and such. I dictated this with my voice on my phone.
Mark also sent me these photos of paintings by Jago that are in the family collection:
 |
(Location and date to be established)
|
 |
| Village Scene - Jago Stone (date to be established) |
 |
| Signature and date - Jago Stone - Christmas, 1980 |
I am very grateful for these further glimpses into Jago's prodigious output. There are more details to add, of course, but I thought it would be good to air these in cyberspace straightaway. Tomorrow, I am making email contact with Mark again to send him a link to this blogpost in case he misses it - and arrange what we have been promising ourselves - a Zoom meeting, featuring members of the Donohoe family and me!
I'd be surprised if another blogpost did not follow.
No comments:
Post a Comment