BENNEY, Derek

1924 - 2010

Derek Ward Sallis Benney was born at Salisbury, Wiltshire on 31 May 1924, son of Ernest Alfred Sallis Benney (1894-9 March 1966), who became head of Hull Art School and later Principal of Brighton School of Art, and his wife Aileen Mary née Ward (7 August 1898-24 December 1975), who married at Northwich, Cheshire in 1923. Derek was educated at Brighton and Hove, Sussex Grammar School and studied at Brighton College of Art and at the Royal College of Art in 1947 under Dorothy Mahoney (1902-1984) and Irene Wellington (1904-1984) during which time he, and his father, exhibited at the Royal Academy. Derek was elected to Craft Membership of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators in 1953 and served as Chairman from 1985 until 1988. In 1961 he moved to Prestatyn as head of the Flintshire School of Art, and in 1966 to Suffolk where for 18 years was the Principal of Ipswich School of Art. Derek specialised in Honorary Freedom scrolls and amongst his more significant early commissioned works was a volume of the RAF Book of Remembrance, St Clement Danes Church, London. There is memorial work by him in Sainsbury's, Streatham Common, London and at the museum of the Royal Surrey Regiment in Clandon Park, Guildford but his calligraphy was overlooked in the light of his superb draughtsmanship. He married twice, at Hastings in 1956, Elizabeth Weston and in Bullingdon, Oxfordshire in 1993, Gretel Winsford Dalby-Quenet (1932-13 May 2018). Derek Ward Sallis Benney lived at 30 Kingsfield, Avenue, Ipswich and died on 5 February 2010.

from 19 Cornwall Gardens, Preston Park, Brighton
1944 1004 Chimney Pots and Roofs - pen & wash
1945 839 Lumber on the Landing - watercolour
1947 1083 Tombs at Ovingdean - watercolour
from 7 Cheyne Place, Chelsea
1948 1014 Royal Pavilion, Brighton - pen & wash
from 19 Cornwall Gardens, Preston Park, Brighton
1949 824 Junk - wash
1950 919 The Seat - watercolour
from 62 Wodeland Avenue, Guildford, Surrey
1961 1178 Regency Curves, Brighton - etching & aquatint
from 5 Tudor Avenue, Prestatyn, Flintshire
1962 913 Tree Form - pen
         965 Old Clothes - etching
         967 Fallen Capital - etching & aquatint
from West House, Brightling Road, Robertsbridge, East Sussex
1985 1179 East Street, Rye - pen

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Works by This Artist