Flattely, Alisdair Frederick
1922 – 2009
Obiituary The Scotsman 2009-12-01; "ALASTAIR [sic] FLATTELY, Artist and Former principal, Gray's School of Art. Born 20 November 1922, in Inverness, died 29 May 2009 at Dorchester, Dorset, aged 86. Alastair [sic] Flattely was a distinguished landscape painter, teacher and administrator. His work was acquired by important public, corporate and private collections during a long and demanding academic career. After teaching posts in Scotland and England, he was from 1972-1987 Pricipal of Gray's School of Art, Aberdeen, through a period which saw big change sin higher education. As with many painters who must teach to live, his surviving pictures indicate that if he had been able to spend more time drawing and at the easel, he would have beecome better known to the art buying public." (sourced 2015-02-02; http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/alastair-flattely-1-770471) "PAINTINGS by a tragic artist who lost his life in a road accident near Dorchester have gone under the hammer in Scotland. Alastair [sic] Flattely, 86, and his wife Sheila, 85, of Beaminster, died when their car burst into flames after colliding with a lorry on the A37 near Evershot last May. But Mr Flattely’s creative legacy will live on through more than 200 of his final works, which were sold at auction in Edinburgh for a total of £44,556. His signature works were auctioned off by his two nephews, Chris and Nick Houghton of Oxfordshire. Chris said: “I have very fond memories of my aunt and uncle. “They were both very kind and generous to us and our families.” Among the landscape artist’s collection were a picture of Weymouth Harbour, landscapes of Spain and of his home in Gloucestershire. Each work fetched between £500 and £1,500 and it was the second time Mr Flattely’s art has been auctioned off. Philip Gregory, of auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull, said: “Around 90 per cent of the works were sold, which was really good. “It was a very busy sale with a lot of phone bids. Mr Flattely isn’t as well known as some Scottish artists, but his work was affordable.” Serving as a flash spotter during the Second World War, Mr Flattely was in the Royal Artillery 8th survey Regiment in Italy until persistent bronchitis ended his Army career. It was while serving his country that he developed an interest in landscape sketching and painting. Inverness-born Mr Flattely studied at Edinburgh College of Art in 1945 and was taught by several Scots painters, including William Gillies. He left in 1951 and took up a post at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. Many of his works are held at the Royal Scottish Academy and in public galleries across the UK and the Duke of Edinburgh is among his most well-known fans. In later life, Mr Flattely became vice-principal of Gloucestershire College of Art and Design and he continued to paint at home in Dorset up until his death. A man has appeared at Dorchester Crown Court charged with death by careless driving in connection with the deaths of Alastair and Sheila Flattely. Lorry driver Peter James Girton, aged 45, of Rowan Drive, Taunton, pleaded not guilty to two charges of causing death by dangerous driving. He was released on bail and will return to court to stand trial on June 28." (Dorset Echo, 2010-02-26, sourced 2015-02-02; http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/5030579.tragic_artist_alastair_flattely_s_legacy_lives_on/) Alisdair flattley was awarded the Chalmers-Jervise Prize of £10 in 1950 (vide RSA Ann Report, 1950, notice VI, p.5) and the Stuart prize of £30.00 in 1952 (vide RSA Ann Report, 1952)
