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ABOUT THE ARTIST BARON CHARLIE LUSH
Born in Carlisle the son of a doctor in 1958, I was educated at Bramcote in Scarborough and at Sherborne in Dorset. I then studied French and Music in Lausanne, the latter as a private pupil of Hungarian composer Andras Kovach, himself a former pupil of Kodaly and friend of Sibelius. Back in Carlisle, I studied photography and graphic design while further developing my musical interests with Andrew Sievewright at the cathedral. In 1977, I began my first degree course at the London College of Music, graduating in 1980 with a Fellowship in composition and Licentiate Teaching Diploma in double bass playing. My composition had been greatly encouraged by the late Sir Lennox Berkeley.
In the autumn of 1980, I took up my first teaching post at Stoke Brunswick preparatory school before moving to Cheam School, Newbury, to teach French. During the next nine years at Cheam, I also served as private tutor to the Earl of Shelburne’s younger son at Bowood, Calne, and advanced my interests in photography and music. In 1987, I held a photographic exhibition at Cheam and obtained a Licentiate Diploma from the Royal Photographic Society. The following year, I founded and conducted the Newbury Chamber Consort with the moral support of Christopher Finzi, brother-in-law of the late outstanding cellist Jacqueline du Pre.
In 1990, I moved to Scotland to teach French at Croftinloan School, Pitlochry, where I also acted as Housemaster to the senior boys. This was followed by teaching a number of activities at Kilgraston, Ardvreck, Butterstone and the New School, Butterstone, an establishment for children with special needs. I also taught English as a foreign language to French students at Ardvreck and, in 1992, set a new modern-day record for the Upper Oykel with thirty-five salmon and four sea trout to my own rod for the week.
Between 1995 and 1998, I worked as a department manager and buyer at McEwens of Perth where I also edited the staff magazine. The following two years were spent researching, writing and self-publishing a number of works with a successful book-signing at James Thin’s in Perth. While researching my family history, I also stumbled upon the fascinating ‘Locock legend’ which I investigated as part of a biography on Queen Victoria’s favourite physician and obstetrician Sir Charles Locock, Bt. This research sparked a hive of media activity in 2004 when I was interviewed by the BBC, Endemol UK and Sky News and, more recently, for a Radio 4 Document Series programme.
In 2000, I matriculated for a second time at St Andrews University where I served as Hon Chairman of the Clay Pigeon Club and Secretary to the Dashwood Historians’ Club. I obtained my colours for clay pigeon shooting, played double bass with the Chamber Orchestra, sang with the Renaissance Group and led an art historians’ expedition to Florence. I also held the first solo student art exhibition at the Preservation Trust Museum in 2003 and graduated with a Joint Hons degree in Art History and Modern History in 2004. Since then, I have completed a biography of Edwardian artist John Brakewell Baldwin, have exhibited at the Glasgow School of Art with one of my paintings shown on Channel 5 and, in addition to exhibiting regularly with the Perth Art Association, was invited to show some work at the Kilbryde Castle 2006 Spring Exhibition. In the spring of 2007, I was invited to exhibit at Edinburgh Airport, the Loyd Gallery in Oslo and the Agora Gallery in New York while also being asked to take part as a cultural coach and fishing instructor in the new ITV reality-show series ‘From Ladette to Lady’ due to be aired in the UK in October, 2007. Besides painting and writing, I continue to work as a field sports instructor at Gleneagles and Dunkeld House and currently hold both a Certificate of Competence in the coaching of archery from the Scottish Archery Centre and a Safety Test Certificate from The Association of Professional Shooting Instructors.
On the 23rd March, 2008, I became Club Captain of Scotland's principal Longbow-only club Green Hollow Bowmen. |
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