H.E.Sawyer British-American Artist

This blog is dedicated to highlighting the life and art of British-American artist H.E. Sawyer. Little if nothing can be found online about H.E. Sawyer, but his landscapes capture a British-American immigration history.

Those with more information about H.E. Sawyer or his paintings are welcome to comment on the blog or send me an e-mail. My intent is simply to learn more about this artist and piece together Manx-American immigration stories.

Comments from relatives or art owners are welcome.

The images used in this blog belong to the blog owner and are COPYRIGHTED. Use of any portion is strictly prohibited.

 

The Family Story

My grandfather, Allen F. Hampton, treasured his H.E. Sawyer watercolors. They were passed down from his father, Edward Gilbert Hampton who immigrated from the Isle of Man in to Ogden, Utah in the late 1880's as a Mormon convert.

Christmas Card

We found a Christmas card from H.E. Sawyer and his mother, addressed to my great-grandfather, Edward Gilbert Hampton. We originally thought it was hand-painted by H.E. Sawyer, but no- it was commercially produced in Germany. Nonetheless, it captures the personal relationship between the Sawyers and Hamptons. We believe H.E.Sawyer lived with his mother in Ogden, Utah.

 

Woodland Deer

We don't know whether this painting depicts a Scottish, Manx, or Rocky Mountain deer. It is possible that this is a now extinct Manx breed which disappeared in the mid-late 19th century.  The painting was forgotten about and remained in an attic for nearly a century, but now graces my dining room wall. The gilded gold frame and beige matte might be from the 1950s. I replaced the glass with one that provides UV protection.

Notice a small flock of birds in the background.



Small woodland flowers, daisies, ferns seem plausible, but poppies?

Two does/fawns in the background. One has noticed the painter and is watching carefully.

A focal point in the painting is the spot where the deer's hoof touches the water- indicating the importance of place.

The tree branches mirror the deer's antlers.

Obviously this isn't a plein air painting of mountains in February.

Herding Sheep in the Scottish Highlands

My grandfather said this picture was painted in the Scottish Highlands where a mist always covered a rock and spring. We've forgotten the name of this mystical place, but suspect folklore once told a richer tale. It is possible that the mist is the cloak of the ancient Manx wizard Manannan Mac-Lir, someplace on the Isle of Man. Maybe the idea of a Scottish magical mist just seemed nostalgic to someone who remembered the tales of Manannan's cloak.

Does anyone recognize this landscape?





A young shepherd walks a flock of Scottish blackface sheep down a heathered mountain path next to a gentle river which receives the the spring's waterfall.






The shepherd's loyal dog bounces by his ankle, eager for the next command.




Although not visible in these photos, the glass in this frame is hand poured. With the right light, you can see circular ripples. The painting is signed 'H.E. Sawyer 1917'. Under the signature someone has penciled in 'After [herding] or [shering]'. The pencil note is indecipherable. The sheep don't look recently sheared.

Sailboats at Liberty Island- Statue of Liberty

This painting is nearly identical to the one of Douglas Bay except the Tower of Refuge has been replaced by the Statue of Liberty. Interestingly, Sawyer painted the two landmarks as approximately the same size, when in reality, the Statue of Liberty is nearly 8 times taller! Perhaps the artist simply attempted to maintain the composition of the original and created 'mirrored' paintings of the start and finish of his journey. I like to think that perhaps he was making a statement about the equality of the two countries by portraying their national landmarks as equals. In either case, the paintings tell the story of our family's Manx-American immigration.







Perhaps historians could tell us whether sailboats such as these were the most frequent vessels in New York Harbor at the turn of the century, or whether the steamboats (depicted as ghosts in the background) were actually more common.  






















Again, one of Sawyer's nimble shadow sailors works under the boom.





The sun shines on a sapphire waters, rather atypical for the greys of New York Harbor.

Sailboats at Port Douglas- Tower of Refuge

This painting is the most cherished in our family's collection. It depicts several sailboats around St. Mary's Isle or 'Conister Rocks' in Douglas Bay and the Tower of Refuge. The tower was built in 1832 by Sir William Hillary as place for the occasional shipwrecked sailor to take refuge on the semi-submerged reef-rocks until help could arrive.It was supposedly stocked with rum and hardtack.
 

The dimensions of the picture are rather small (perhaps 8X10 or less). The image copied for this blog was taken from a photograph blown up to 16X20. 

Sawyer painted a cheery azure sky and sapphire waters instead of the typical greys of the Irish Sea.  Sailors work under the boom with ropes. The forward lookout balances proudly on the bow.


The painting is signed 'H.E. Sawyer 1918' which doesn't seem to correspond with family story that the picture was painted en route. Also, the boats appear to be sailing toward the Manx landmark, but away from the Statue of Liberty!