On Saturday 15th June, former England cricket legend, Jack Russell visited Malvern College to paint the senior cricket pitch, with the historic school as a backdrop.
Jack who played in over 50 tests for England in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is now a renowned artist - with his love of cricket still very much in evidence through his work.
Although he never attended the school, Jack did play cricket at Gloucestershire with Mark Hardinges (1.91-96), House Master of School House and former Master in charge of Cricket.
Mark said: “We were delighted to have Jack here at the weekend to paint the cricket pitch and school. He has been promising to do so for some time.
“We’re immensely proud of our facilities here at Malvern and Jack’s paintings are incredible and will certainly do the grounds justice.”
Jack is an iconic figure in English cricket, taking over 150 catches in his Test Match career and scoring 1,897 runs, including two centuries.
Jack, who was awarded an MBE in 1996, had always had an interest in art and was known to sketch while on tour. He has been a professional artist for over 30 years and paints a wide range of subjects from landscapes, wildlife, military, portraits and sport.
His paintings hang in public and private collections worldwide, from the Tower of London to The Bradman Museum in Bowral Australia. Sittings for his portrait paintings have included HRH Duke of Edinburgh, HRH Duke of Kent, 10 Field Marshals of the British Army, Sir Norman Wisdom, Eric Sykes, and Eric Clapton, as well as sporting icons including Sir Bobby Charlton, Dickie Bird and Phil Taylor.
Prints of the final painting will be produced for sale via the Malvernian Society and will be available for purchase through the OM Shop - we will let you know when they are ready.