Casgliadau Arlein

From Guild of Railway Artists. JAMES W PETRIE, GRA. (1930 - 1997) Jim Petrie had always been interested in trains and regretted like many the passing of the age of steam. He spent most of his working years in Commercial Art, designing and illustrating, but hated the rat-race of the advertising world. In 1972 he became self employed and specialised in the production of perspective illustrations for Architects in Liverpool, London, Manchester and Glasgow, many of them for projects in the Middle East. Other schemes included important development projects in Liverpool – Albert Dock, Lime Street Station and the Cavern Walks shopping development being some of them. His work as a fine art painter was the work he admitted to enjoying most. His subject matter was invariably railway or aviation - Jim was also a Member of the Guild of Aviation Artists – his scenes always evocative with unerring accuracy. His medium was invariably oils but on occasions he used gouache and water-colours. Jim was a contributor to the first ever “Railart” exhibition in 1977 staged by the Wight Locomotive Society (The original supporter group of the Isle of Wight Seam Railway). Upon the formation of the Guild of Railway Artists in 1978 Jim became one of the Founder Members and subsequently in April 1979 was elected by the body of the Founder Members as one of the first three Full Members of the Guild, the other two artists being Alan Fearnley, GRA. and David Shepherd, OBE, FRSA, FRGS, FGRA Jim supported the Guild thought its early years contribution paintings to exhibitions and to the first book by the Guild “The Great Western Collection” published in 1985. One of Jim’s paintings in fact graced the cover of the book – an evocative night time scene at Swindon Junction featuring a 28XX Class locomotive on a heavy goods train. A number of Jim Petrie’s paintings were committed into fine art prints and he exhibited his work in galleries both within his home locality of Maghull, Liverpool and North Wales. Jim’s work as an Architectural Illustrator unfortunately in his latter days time did not allow him to carry out much fine art work He retired in 1997 hoping to return to more fine art work but died shortly afterwards in October 1997. In September 1999 Kate Petrie, Jim’s wife, allowed one of his paintings to be reproduced as a fine art limited edition print - the picture being of a depiction of the "Skem Jazzer 1914", the familiar old train that ran from Ormskirk to Rainford - the proceeds of the print being donated to North West Cancer Research.