Painting As a Pastime

By Winston S. Churchill

The perfect antidote to his 'Black Dog', a depression that blighted his working life, Churchill took to painting with gusto. Picking up a paintbrush for the first time at the age of forty, Winston Churchill found in painting a passion that was to remain his constant companion. This glorious essay exudes his compulsion for a hobby that allowed him peace during his dark days, and richly rewarded a nation with a treasure trove of work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: eBookIt.com
• Release date: Feb 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781456636708

Book preview

Painting as a Pastime

by Winston Churchill

Subjects: Autobiographical Essay (Illustrated) -- Heads of State; British Prime Ministers; Oil Painting; Picture Books

First published in 1932

This edition published by Reading Essentials

Victoria, BC Canada with branch offices in the Czech Republic and Germany

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except in the case of excerpts by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Sir Winston S. Churchill

Painting as a Pastime 

 Winston Churchill

Painting as a Pastime

Many remedies are suggested for the avoidance of worry and mental overstrain by persons who, over prolonged periods, have to bear exceptional responsibilities and discharge duties upon a very large scale. Some advise exercise, and others, repose. Some counsel travel, and others, retreat. Some praise solitude, and others, gaiety. No doubt all these may play their part according to the individual temperament. But the element which is constant and common in all of them is Change.

Change is the master key. A man can wear out a particular part of his mind by continually using it and tiring it, just in the same way as he can wear out the elbows of his coat. There is, however, this difference between the living cells of the brain and inanimate articles: one cannot mend the frayed elbows of a coat by rubbing the sleeves or shoulders; but the tired parts of the mind can be rested and strengthened, not merely by rest, but by using other parts. It is not enough merely to switch off the lights which play upon the main and ordinary field of interest; a new field of interest must be illuminated. It is no use saying to the tired 'mental muscles'—if one may coin such an expression—I will give you a good rest,' 'I will go for a long walk,' or 'I will lie down and think of nothing.' The mind keeps busy just the same. If it has been weighing and measuring, it goes on weighing and measuring. If it has been worrying, it goes on worrying. It is only when new cells are called into activity, when new stars become the lords

Reviews for Painting As a Pastime

[royhartcentre · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An amusing little book

[melannen_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is one I rescued from my grandmother's art library, and so can't, in a real way, be separated from my memories of her and her house. But it's a wonderful short read in its own right. The essay, "painting as a pastime", was originally published in "Amid These Storms," the book written in the 1930's while Churchill was taking an involuntary break from politics. It makes a wonderful argument for hobbies in general, and not just painting, and their essential role in both incredibly busy and idle lives. The writing is in that early 20th century style that often feels formal and dry to modern readers, but the beauty of it is worth the difficulty.The second half of the book (in my edition) is prints of some of Churchill's paintings, mostly from the late forties (over a decade after the writing of the essay) and worth the perusal. They're clearly the work of an amauteur, but still unmistakably *good*, and that's probably the best sort of work for a hobbyist to aspire to.