It certainly came as a bit of a surprise when researching this section just how deeply involved in illustration, painting and design Peter Cushing was. Although never much of a vocation, this aspect of his creative personality seems to have been important to the performer most of his life. Strictly as a hobby, Cushing built meticulous miniature stage sets, collected & designed exquisite toy soldiers, and in a time of deep financial trouble, he presented his wife with a scarf upon which he had painted characters for Christmas (in lieu of a gift which actually costs money).

Nonetheless, the "fine arts" Cushing actually spilled over into the professional life of the "celebrity" Cushing from time to time, especially as his fame allowed him the luxury of painting, building and designing with no illusion of great monetary rewards. He has had at least one exhibition of his paintings, presented a scarf to the Queen of England, and had a small number of other distinctions in the field. Doubtless more professional credits belong in this section, and any information would be most welcome.

For related subjects see: books featuring illustrations by Cushing, found in the bibliography section; similarly, TV programmes (I get British-spelling fever when I write about Cushing) featuring his artwork in the television section; and at least one sculpting project found its way into our near misses section.

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(May 1948)
A scarf, designed by Cushing, "that portrayed the main performers of Hamlet (see filmography) in costume," delivered to the Queen at the film's world premiere in London.

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(ca. 1949-1950)
More scarfs. After a long illness which resulted in a serious shortage of acting offers, "...I fell back on doing designs for a scarf-making firm. When nine months passed, I decided to give up acting..." (Peter Cushing, An Autobiography). Obviously, he changed his mind. (Incidentally, Cushing is also said to have designed ties, though I don't know if he practiced this professionally.)

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Here and There (1958)
A complete exhibition of Cushing's watercolor landscapes held by London's Fine Art Society.

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(1987)
A painting by Cushing (presumably a watercolor), accepted for a charity auction by Prince Edward.

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The Northern Musgrave Sherlock Holmes Society Member Pin (ca. 1987)
Designed by Cushing, for a local Sherlockian society.
"...A thing of beauty...." – Classic Specialties, a Holmes Appreciation group

Peter Cushing – The Gentle Man of Horror and His 91 Films (1992) by Deborah Del Vecchio and Tom Johnson

Sherlock Holmes on the Screen (1977) by Robert W. Pohle Jr. and Douglas C. Hart

Sherlockian Societies & Publications

Original text copyright 1998 by Michael Hoaglin.

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