About

BRITISH ARTIST, Bernard Francis Dillon, was born in Paddington, London, during August 1940. His mother was from the mining valleys of South Wales whilst his father was a Londoner of Irish descent.

Within months of the Second World War ending Bernard started his education at the local Primary School.

Throughout his childhood he showed considerable interest in drawing which culminated in him winning a scholarship to a technical school of building and art at the age of thirteen. The school was located in Notting Hill Gate, Kensington, and it was there that he was enrolled on to a three year art course. Apart from the compulsory subjects of Mathematics and English the majority of his time was spent studying, lettering, doing fine art, sculpture, pottery, art history and general design.

In 1956 he left school and obtained employment in a display studio only a short distance from Baker Street Station. It was there that he began to use oil paints for the first time. He also received the necessary advice and comprehensive training to paint large and small lettering, murals, heraldry, gilding and various sized pictorial images to accompany the lettering.

In addition to the above training Bernard became a part-time student at Hammersmith College of Art (Lime Grove) during the years 1956 – 1958. His tutor was, CAREL WEIGHT R.A., Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art and a Royal Academy Trustee. It was with the tutorship and guidance of CAREL WEIGHT that he studied life drawing.

His employment at the studio continued until the mid nineteen-sixties when he embarked upon self employment and succeeded in finding many clients through an agency that specialised in the exhibition industry. For many years his murals and displays could be seen in places such as Earls Court, Olympia, Westminster Hall and Alexandra Palace.

In the mid nineteen-seventies he was forced to make a life changing decision because of the National Exhibition Centre that had opened in Birmingham. He found himself having to choose between retaining his exhibition clients with the necessary daily commute to Birmingham or to find a different set of clients closer to home. After careful consideration he chose the least lucrative option and thus avoided the excessive travelling.

Although he succeeded in finding local clients they were insufficient for him to support a growing family and he had no choice but to find employment elsewhere. However, he was able to continue in the commercial art world, albeit in a part time capacity.

Fifteen years later and with nearly forty years of experience of studying and working in the art field he became a part-time adult education lecturer teaching calligraphy, associated ornamentation and illumination to the adult students of the local adult education authority.

In 1995 he accepted a position at the Luton Museum working at the front of house as well as behind the scenes. His previous history was frequently called upon and he contributed to various exhibitions with his murals, lettering and displays. He was also responsible for the painting of the Borough coat of arms now displayed in the entrance hall.