|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Mark Churms
Mark was born in Wales in 1967. He gained his degree in Architectural Studies at Oxford Polytechnic in 1989, but soon his interest in drawing buildings was surpassed by his love of painting horses and in 1991 he began work as a freelance artist. His first commissions were for sporting subjects, Polo, Racing and Hunting. However his consuming passion for military history, particularly of the Napoleonic era, quickly became his dominant theme, with the invaluable counsel of French military experts (accuracy in uniform and terrain of the various battles takes a great deal of time and consultation with many experts across Europe). Mark Churms joined Cranston Fine Arts in 1991 and for a period of 8 years, was commissioned for several series and special commissions. His series of the Zulu War, and of the Battle of Waterloo were the highlights during this period. Mark Churms' deep understanding and detailed knowledge of the period made Mark at that time one of the most prolific and successfull artists for Cranston Fine Arts. Cranston Fine Arts are proud with their series of superb art prints and original paintings painted by Mark Churms in this period. We now offer Mark Churms art prints in special 2 and 4 print packs with great discounts as well as a number of selected original paintings at upto half price. |
| Navigation | |
| Page 1 of 5 | Page 1 .. Next |
| Mark Churms Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Navigation | |
| Page 1 of 5 | Page 1 .. Next |
| Text for the above items : |
The Battle of Bannockburn by Mark Churms. With the full might of Englands Army now gathered to do battle before the besieged Stirling Castle, the young Edward II Plantagenate is confident of victory over the enemy. To the west of the Bannockburn, Robert Bruce, King of Scots kneels to pray with his men and commends his soul to God. The Scottish battle lines are prepared. The Cavalry is in reserve to the rear behind the spearmen and archers (known as Flower of the forest) in tightly packed Schiltrons patiently awaiting the coming onslaught. Unknown to the English, the open marshy ground of no mans land conceals hidden pits and trenches, major obstacles for any mounted charge. Despite Cliffords and de Beaumonts premature and unsuccessful attempt to relieve the castle the day before, years of victory have taught the brave English knights to regard their Scottish foes with contempt. So, without waiting for the bowmen to effectively weaken the enemy lines the order is hurriedly given to attack! With one rush hundreds of mounted knights led by the impetuous Earl of Gloucester thunder headlong through the boggy ground straight for the impenetrable forest of spears and into defeat and death. With dash and courage the knights try to force a way through the mass of spears but the Scots stand firm. The momentum of the charge is lost and there is no room to manoeuvre. Everywhere horses and men crash to the ground, casualties amongst the English are horrific. Robert Bruce seizes the moment and orders the exultant army to advance. The Englishmen are slowly pushed back into the waters of the Bannockburn. All discipline is lost as the soldiers and horses madly scramble for the far bank of the burn. Many drown or perish in the crush to escape the deadly melee. Edward II, with his army destroyed, flees with his bodyguard for the safety of Stirling Castle but is refused refuge and has to fight his way south to England. For Robert Bruce and Scotland victory is complete. Text by Paul Scarron-Jones. |
Hougoumont by Mark Churms. Depicting Jeromes Infantry attacking the South gate of the Chateau during the battle of Waterloo. |
Troop Leader of the 17th Lancers, Hounslow 1854 by Mark Churms. (P) Study for the original painting Last Review Before the Charge. |
Original Oil Study of the Marshal Ney at the Battle of Waterloo painting by Mark Churms. (P) No text for this item |
Epsom Trophy by Mark Churms. Epsom Trophy, Polo Championship |
Crockett's Last Sunrise, at the Battle of the Alamo by Mark Churms. Crockett is shown at the Barricades at 6am on the 5th March 1836. The siege of the Alamo ended on March 6th, when the Mexican army attacked while the Alamo defenders were sleeping. The garrison defenders awakened, and the final fight began. One of the women who were gathered in the chapel witnessed Crockett running to his post, Crockett paused briefly in the chapel to pray. But when the Mexican soldiers breached the outer walls of the Alamo complex, most of Crocket and the defending Texians fell back to the barracks and the chapel area which had been the plan. Davy Crockett and his men were too far from the barracks to be able to take shelter and were the last remaining defenders within the mission to be in the open. The men desperatly defended the low wall in front of the church, using their rifles as clubs and using there knives in close combat as the Mexican troops were too close and made it impossible to reload their rifles. After a volley of fire and a charge with fixed bayonets, Mexican soldiers pushed the few remaining Texans back toward the church and soon after the Battle for the Alamo had ended after lasting 90 minutes. It is said that the body of Crockett was surrounded by up to 12 Mexican soldiers bodies and one with Crocketts knife in him. |
John Chard, 1879 by Mark Churms. (P) Study for the original painting Eve of Distinction. |
The Jacobite Piper by Mark Churms. After the unsuccessful march on London, Prince Charlie retreats to the safety of Scotland. The army regroups and more men come to join the cause, including soldiers from France. However King Georges men are never far away. As dark, winter rain clouds draw in over the high ground above the town of Falkirk, the Jacobite army assembles to face Hang-man Hawleys dragoons and infantry. A piper plays on while the men of Ogilvys Regiment, in the second line, load and make ready their weapons for the coming assault. Bonnie Prince Charlie (so called for his nature, not his looks) rides down the ranks followed by Lord Elcho and his Life Guards. Red coated Irish Pickets, regulars from France, are also in reserve. |
La Gueper Espagnol by Mark Churms. French dragoons attack a Spanish farmhouse where they believe Spanish guerillas are hiding. |
Pinned Like Rats in a Hole by Mark Churms. Depicting Private Hook and Private Williams, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot inside the burning hospital at Rorkes Drift, 7pm January 1879. At about 6 pm the Zulus first forced their way into the hospital building where some thirty patients were defended by a handful of able-bodied men. A running fight ensued as the patients were evacuated from room to room, a desperate struggle made all the more terrible when the Zulus set fire to the thatched roof. Here Private Alfred Henry Hook holds Zulus of the uThulwana regiment at bay whilst Private John Williams helps a patient escape, Hook received a head wound when a spear struck off his helmet. |
Into the Fire by Mark Churms. Crouching low behind their shields, the warriors of the uThulwans, iNdlondo and uDloko regiments advance around the foot of Shiyane hill. Led by their commander, Prince Dabulamnzi kaMpnade, the main Zulu force attacks the British outpost at Rorkes Drift, 4.50pm, 2nd January 1879. |
Battle for Tumbledown by Mark Churms. With Fixed Bayonets soldiers of 2nd battalion Scots Guards clear enemy positions of 5th Argentine Marine Battalion on the slopes of Tumbledown |
Eve of Distinction by Mark Churms. Lt. John Rouse Merriot Chard, Royal Engineers.At about 3.30 on the afternoon of 22nd January 1879, Lieutenant John Rouse Merriot Chard, Royal Engineers, was supervising repairs on the military pont on the Mzinyathi river, at the border crossing at Rorkes Drift, when survivors brought news that the advanced British camp at Isandhlwana had been over-run by the Zulus, and that a wing of the Zulu army was on its way to attack Rorkes Drift. Chard ordered Driver Robson to pack up the wagon and return to the mission station, where a stockpile of supplies was under the guard of B Company, 2/24th Regiment. Chard, in consultation with his fellow officers, made the historic decision to make a stand at Rorkes Drift. |
The Black Prince Before the Battle of Crecy by Mark Churms. Battle of Crecy. One of the battles fought during the Hundred Years War, on 26th August 1346. On 12th July Edward III landed in Normandy with his army and marching north plundered the countryside. King Philip VI assembled an army to stop Edward and tracked them across the Somme River. When Edward reached Crecy he stopped and ordered his army to take up defensive positions. King Philip surveyed the English positions and decided to postpone his attack until August 27th. However, the French vanguard pressed forward too far and so committed the entire army to the battle. The hired Genoese crossbowmen began the assault but came under severe attack from the English longbows and so fled to the rear. King Philip then ordered his cavalry to charge resulting in a huge loss of horse and man under the barrage of arrows which rained down on them. By the end of the night after several unsuccessful assaults the French army was reduced by a third and King John of Luxemburg was dead. Edward then turned towards Calais. |
Lucknow 1857, Trooper and Trumpeter of the Queens Bays by Mark Churms. (P) Study for the original painting Charge and Pursue. |
Wellington Leaving Quatre Bras for Waterloo by Mark Churms. Wellington watches as his army retires from the battle field area of Quatrebras |
Officer, Skinner's Horse 1905 by Mark Churms. The Founders Church of St. James, Dehli, illustrates its association with this famous regiment of Bengal Lancers. |
Unhooked, Kings Troop R.H.A Number 2, by Mark Churms. The Kings Troop are shown in Hyde Park practicing for a gun salute. |
Badajoz by Mark Churms. On the night of 6th April 1812 Wellingtons Army, surrounding the walled Spanish town of Badajoz (garrisoned by Napoleons soldiers under general Baron Philippon) is ready to attack! The men of the 45th regiment from Pictons 3rd Division launch themselves in a desperate and bloody assault against the north castle wall. Carrying improvised ladders, the men have their top buttons undone, overalls rolled up and are stripped for action. The castles defenders (Germans, allied to Napoleon of the Graf und Erbprinz Regiment from Hesse-Darmstadt) partroling the walls in their greatcoats are intially surprised by the bold assault from this sector but they have been preparing the strong defenses for some time. Soon the night air is full of musketry, falling masonry, burning bundles of ropes and exploding grenades or mines. Despite the horrific casualties suffered the attackers press home. As the first scaling ladders are raised near a small bell tower the young Lt. James Macpherson reaches for the top of the wall. The ladders are too short! Undaunted he cries to his men below to lift the base of the ladder closer to the wall. This rapid, vertical movement suddenly propels him to a height several feet above the Germans heads. A shot rings out as one of the defenders fires point blank into the young mans chest. Fortunately the lead ball only strikes a glancing blow, cleaving in two a button of the officers waist coat and dislocating one of his ribs. Despite his fortunate escape, the force of the impact nearly sends him tumbling from the ladder. Somehow he maintains his grasp but the ladder itself gives way under the weight of the men following. Some unfortunates are impaled on the bayonets of their comrades below. Leaping from the rungs of another ladder, Corporal Kelly is the first man over the top and gradually the 45th gain a foothold on the ramparts. The rest of the regiment is ordered to unfix bayonets. Using the few remaining ladders, others also manage to scale the walls. Through the carnage they climb, club and shoot their way into the castle itself! Maepherson now regains consciousness at the foot of the wall and revived with a cup of coco from his friend A.A. General Hercules Packenham, who was directly behind him on the ladder when it broke. Though winded by the shot he rises to his feet. This sudden movement relocates his rib and he is able to climb the ladders once more. Once over the defense he sees the old towers of Apendez and Albar-rana to his left and the cathedral illuminated by gun fire in the distance. However his objective is directly ahead. Atop the abandoned tower of Santa Maria before him still flies the French tricolour. Macplierson seizes the opportunity, mounts the spiral stairway to the top turret and pulls down the enemy flag. For want of a substitute he flies his own red jacket from the pole, signifying that the castle has fallen. In the rest of the town the fighting continues and turns into a blood lust. Badajoz is one of the bloodiest and violent sieges of the Peninsula War. On the following day Maepherson presents his trophy to the Duke of Wellington himself but his bravery is not rewarded with a promotion. |
San Sebastian - Ensign Figure Study by Mark Churms. (P) Study for the original painting Assault on the Breach of San Sebastian. |
Cpl Allen and Cpl Lyons, Rorkes Drift 1879 by Mark Churms. (P) Study for the original painting Wounded. |
| Navigation | |
| Page 1 of 5 | Page 1 .. Next |
|
Contact Details |
|
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com |
 |
