User:Alexprowse/Alex Prowse Artist

Alex Prowse Artist Biography of The Artist

Born in London 1949. Alexander Prowse trained at Harrow School of Art under the tutorship of Christopher Saunders RA.He has exhibited widely at the Federation of British Artists, The Royal West of England Academy, and is a Council Member of The Pastel Society. Winner of the Manya Igel Fine Art Award, 1995. Frank Herring Award, 2000. One man shows in London, Mexico, Venezuela, and the U.S. His work may be found in a large number of collections including that of Lord and Lady Sainsbury, and The Saddlers Wells Theatre.Alex was commissioned by ILEA for a large watercolour which was presented to Jaques Chirac and now hangs in The Hotel de Ville, Paris. He applies skilful draughtsmanship in many mediums to produce an exciting range of images,these include unusually both figure and landscape subject matter, from recording life on the Inland waterways to his work with dancers of the Royal Ballet at The Opera House, London. His open studio featured in the channel 4 television series ‘ Water Stories ‘ Since the closing of  Alex studio at Little Venice he has reserched the life and teachings of Sathya Sai Baba.

''Having had the good fortune to travel to India to see Sathya Sai Baba he and his wife were given an interview. During an interview Alex mentioned a suggestion that had been voiced to him by a devote of Sai Baba's that Alex should illustrate his life story. Sathya Sai Baba confirmed "go ahead with your plan it will be successful". '' The last painting to be blessed. On Sunday 28th February, I had an overriding desire to show Sathya Sai Baba a print of The Rainbow Crucifixion, the painting that I had completed at Chaitanya Jyoti some days before. I was exploring the possibility of having a print made of the painting for this purpose, and I decided to go to the photographic shop outside in the village to do this. It was a busy morning outside the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba, in Puttaparthi, India. Passing the usual flower sellers with their colourful displays of flower baskets, I could see the owner of the photographic shop. I had arrived just at the moment he was just leaving. I asked whether it would be possible to have a print made for Swami’s darshan that very day. He agreed that it was possible, and the young man behind the counter inside the shop also assured me that the print would be ready at 5 o'clock. Returning at 5 o'clock, I was dismayed to find that the print was not available. The explanation that the printer had broken down was given with lowered eyes! I felt a feeling of negativity, almost as though there was a dark force at work. That Swami would not be able to bless the painting that day seemed somehow inconceivable to me. My sixth sense told me I must get the painting image to Swami at darshan that evening. I went back to the room puzzled about the situation. What to do? When my wife and I arrived back at our room, I remembered my broadband provider, a young man in the town, and emailed him, asking if he could provide a print this evening in time for darshan of the Lord? I had a prompt response from him: Yes! I immediately emailed him the jpeg file. Time was now imperative. Then he emailed back saying, sorry, the image was not high enough quality. Another image was sent, and that one was OK. I could come around as soon as I liked to collect it from the shop. Leaving the room almost immediately, I made my way to the shop through the busy streets and alleyways, and went immediately back into the ashram with the print. I entered the Mandir and took my seat at the back of the veranda, where Sathya Sai Baba gave darshan. He had already entered the hall, and was sitting blessing the vast gathering of devotees. He left that area and came around the back of the veranda where He might wheel past me in the chair. Would He? Yes, He started down the long passage where I sat. The long wait began. Would a devotee sit in the middle of the passageway as so many had done in the past and block His route? If so, He often would just turn and go back. But, no, today there was discipline in the ranks and Swami came along blessing the devotees. I was able to get to my knees and show Him the painting. It would be the last of my paintings I would ever show him. He looked at the image of Christ with the straight rainbow, pursed His lips like a child and said, "Beautiful!" Then the image was back in my hands. I sat stunned by His divine presence, unable to move. He had transported me to another dimension, as so many devotees have felt from His divine Presence. Swami left His body on Easter Sunday, a few weeks later. It is often so with Swami that we only understand His messages to us afterwards. Now, as we sort out His messages to us in those final days, I have come to believe that His blessings of Christ’s sacrifice and death were no coincidence. I believe this was one of His several announcements to the devotees that He, also, would soon be leaving this state of illusion.

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