James Walsh (1936–2022)

James “Jim” Walsh was a Southport-based artist whose long and dedicated career spanned several decades, with works dating back to 1957. His paintings and drawings reflected a deeply personal visual language, shaped by imagination, observation, memory, and dream, and evolved over time into a distinctive and recognisable style.

Jim spent most of his life in Southport and exhibited widely with fellow Merseyside artists, including shows as far afield as Mons in Belgium and throughout the North West of England. As a member of the Sefton Guild of Artists, his work came to the attention of Peter Stott and the Red Barn Gallery, where he first exhibited with guild members in 2008. The gallery went on to host his first solo exhibition in 2009—nearly two decades after his first one-man show in Southport in 1990. A retrospective exhibition later celebrated the breadth and development of his career.

One of Jim’s most significant collaborations was the mural in the private chapel at Larch Cottage, commissioned by Peter and his wife Jo for their wedding in 2014. Completed over three summers between 2014 and 2016, the fresco brought together many elements of Jim’s mature style—irreverent and enigmatic, bold in composition and colour, and unafraid to challenge the viewer through its eclectic mix of influences.

Jim continued painting until late in his life, and his work was for many years a defining presence at the Red Barn Gallery. His paintings, instantly recognisable, often encouraged viewers to pause, reflect, and engage in conversation.

He passed away peacefully at the age of 85 in his hometown of Southport. Jim was a gentle, genuine, and modest person, greatly loved and remembered by all who knew him.

Martin Walsh, Cambridge, July 2018