On 31st October 2019, Bill Aldridge wrote:

Our great friend and fellow artist Ivor Kamlish died on Wednesday 30th October at the age of 88.

Ivor was a co-founder of this group.  His drawing skills were a great asset and complement to our group, and when he took up the iPad and his stylus replaced his pen, he became wonderfully skilled in creating iPad drawings. Those of you who have been lucky enough to be entertained in Ivor and Marian’s lovely, bright and airy flat by Regents Park will recall the walls covered with Ivor’s drawings – street scenes from just about every cafe in Europe, it seemed!

Ivor studied at Leeds College of Art and at the Central School of Arts & Crafts in London, specialising in graphics and exhibition design.  His teachers included Maurice de Saumarez, Keith Vaughan, Paul Hogarth, Herbert Spencer and Anthony Froshaug.  In 1963 he started his own design practice, which continues to this day.   

His design skills proved very helpful for the poster and flyer for our first group exhibition in St John’s Smith Square. Some of Ivor’s murals still exist, and some of the books he designed and edited are still in print.

Ivor was a great friend, with boundless energy and enthusiasm.  Every October, he would go to the Frieze Art Fair in Regents Park.  He was there again this year, attending all four days even though he had to use a wheelchair.

He will be missed by everyone in the Drawing London Group.

A Photo Tribute from Marcus Oliver

Can I just add what a pleasure and honour it was to sketch in Ivor’s company. He was irrepressibly enthusiastic about everything. A delight to experience! His artistic knowledge was really deep. He could talk with authority on so many different topics. I only wish I had listened more.

Ivor’s sketches with Drawing London from 2003 to 2019

Click on any of the images below to see an enlargement

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