SKEENS, Walter Morgan, ATD.*

Elected to the Tribe as an Artist Member in 1927 he was an Art Master who practised what he preached, as a hobby. An excellent draughtsman and artist in oil, pencil, water colours and pastel, he was a keen and active Savage and very popular with the Tribe. Of a quiet, shy and self-effacing manner, with his moustache and spectacles. He taught art at South Bristol Central School and later at Cotham Grammar School and for forty years he was a regular attender at the Wigwam, except for a period during World War 2. This was when he was seriously injured while cycling. So severe were his injuries that it was feared that his career was over, but back he came and there is evidence of his work in the studio in 1967, just forty years after his introduction to the Tribe. He loved old Bristol and his sketches of St Michael’s Hill, Frogmore St., King St. and the Llandoger Trow are but three examples of his fine draughtsmanship. He regularly exhibited at our Annual Exhibitions with a wide variety of subjects. He was also a first class pencil artist and his self portrait hanging in the Wigwam is a further example of his versatility. He was our President in 1953. In 1969 he moved to Weston-super-Mare and the Tribe made him a Life Member. It is sad to think that he did not enjoy that honour for long as he died soon afterwards aged eight three. We have 13 of his evening sketches.