Painting as a Pastime was published by Odhams Press in 1948, expanding an essay first published in The Strand Magazine in 1921-22. Churchill took up painting in June 1915, during the lowest point of his career — he had been forced to resign as First Lord of the Admiralty after the failure of the Gallipoli campaign. His wife Clementine, watching him sink into depression, suggested painting. He was forty years old.
The essay — warm, self-deprecating, practical — describes his discovery that painting requires such complete concentration that it displaces anxiety. “Painting is complete as a distraction,” he writes. “I know of nothing which, without exhausting the body, more entirely absorbs the mind.” He recommends oils over watercolors (oils are forgiving — you can paint over mistakes), large canvases over small (boldness is easier on a large scale), and bright colors over muted ones.
Churchill painted over 500 canvases in his lifetime. His style was impressionistic — influenced by his friend Walter Sickert and by the Post-Impressionists he saw in Paris. He painted landscapes primarily (the South of France, Marrakech, the English countryside) and painted well enough that his canvases, exhibited under the pseudonym “Mr. Winter,” were purchased by collectors who did not know the painter’s identity.
The book includes reproductions of eighteen of Churchill’s paintings in color. As a collectible, it occupies an unusual position — more valuable to Churchill collectors than art collectors, but genuinely charming as a small book.
Collecting Painting as a Pastime
First edition (Odhams Press, London, 1948): Blue cloth with tipped-in color plates.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $200–$600
- Very good: $80–$200
- US edition (Whittlesey House): $100–$300
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation. Charming personal essay.
Churchill the Painter
Painting as a Pastime (1948) is a slim, charming book in which Churchill describes how he took up painting in 1915 after the disaster of Gallipoli left him politically ruined and profoundly depressed. The essay — originally published in The Strand Magazine — explains how the act of painting rescued him from what he called “the Black Dog” of depression. Churchill produced over 500 paintings in his lifetime, many of which are now held by the National Trust. The first edition includes reproductions of eighteen of his paintings in color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Churchill actually a good painter? He was a talented amateur — his paintings (mostly landscapes and still lifes in an Impressionist style) have been exhibited at the Royal Academy and sold at auction for significant sums. His teacher was Sir John Lavery, and he was friends with Walter Sickert. Art critics generally regard his work as accomplished for a hobbyist, with genuine feeling for color and light.