Derek Higginson (1930 - 2020)
It is with great sadness to announce that Derek Higginson sadly passed away in March 2020. Barewall are honoured to have had the chance to work with Derek and June and wish the family all the very best.
Derek Higginson is a British oil painter born in The Potteries. He studied at The Burslem School of Art from 1944 to 1950 aged 14 where he gained his National Diploma in Lithography and Design.
Derek was enrolled into the art school and taught by Reginald Haggar who was a great mentor to him.
He was friends at the Art School with William Bowyer. Derek sat for his painting of a customer in a barber shop which now hangs in the fine art gallery of The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery called "Short Back and Sides 1955" Oil.
Like Berry he was influenced by Lowry, and also met LS Lowry at the Burslem art school and at Lowry's home and studio in Manchester.
Derek after leaving the art school went to work for a number of years in the Pottery industry designing for Ridgways Pottery.
He taught art in later years at secondary school including Bishops Bright and Saint Gregory’s Schools as well as in the evening at Stafford Prison.
He was a member and exhibited with “Unit of Ten”, a group 10 artists which included Harry Smith and Bill Harper from the 1950s to 1980s, Derek also exhibited with the "Free Painters & Sculptors", "The Staffordshire Art Club" (as a founder member) exhibiting mostly in the Midlands and North of England. He also become a member of The Staffordshire Society of Artists (SSA) in 1978 under Haggar's rein.
His work has been bought and is in the collection of many Potteries celebrities as well as notable collections in Ireland, London and the USA.
Barewall are delighted to be able to work with Derek to bring a number of his works from his studio in the Potteries now available for sale for the first time starting with the exhibition at the Burslem School of Art opening 21st Oct to 4th Nov 2017.
All works will be available to buy during the exhibition and online at Barewall.
