John Elwyn’s life changed significantly after his marriage to Gillian Butterworth. The couple visited the theatre and concerts regularly, entertained guests, and travelled throughout Europe as well as to Egypt and the USA.
John Elwyn kept holiday sketchbook journals of Spain, Italy and Greece. Alongside watercolour drawings he wrote day-to-day accounts of his activities, observations on the architecture, and peculiarities of the landscape, climate, farm animals, vineyards and olive groves. There are frequent references to the comings and goings of the locals as he watched them about their routine; he recalled his encounters with them and meal-time conversations.
John Elwyn took a genuine interest in everyone he met and could strike up a conversation immediately. The days were occupied with long walks into the countryside and visits to places of interest. Visiting the homes of artists and musicians particularly appealed. Back in Winchester, John Elwyn used his sketchbooks as reference for paintings in acrylic and oil, and for smaller works on paper.
John Elwyn took his last trip abroad in 1991. He had become physically weakened after major surgery in the previous year when it was discovered he had cancer. He was content to remain at home, painting in the studio, taking short breaks to Wales and accompanying Gillian who regularly travelled around Britain in her role as Associated Board examiner.
1947
Hungary: Prague (with Leslie Harris).
1951
Brittany: Quimper and touring (with David and Vivien Pare).
1968
France: Paris, Avignon, St Remy, Aix, Arles, Vence …
1969
Greece and Turkey: Rhodes, Crete, Marmaris, Ephesus …
Crete: Heraklion and Agios Nikolas.
1970
Corfu.
1971
Jersey: Gorey.
1972
Portugal: Lisbon, Sintra, Obidos, Nazaré …
1973
Brittany: Cherbourg, Quimper, Douarnanez, Concarnaux, Pont Aven and Vannes.
1974
Wales: Newquay.
France: Paris, Nimes and touring.
1975
Brittany and the Loire: Honfleur, St Nic-Pentrez, Anger, Blois, Ambroise and Chartres.
1976
France: Gascony.
1977
Italy: Umbria, Urbino, Assisi, Arezzo, Urbino and Rimini.
1978
Sicily: Palermo, Monscale, Syracuse and Taormina.
1979
United States of America and Canada: New York State, Saranac Lake, Montreal, Maine, Cranberry Isle and Boston.
1980
Greece: Symi and Rhodes.
1981
Italy: Gardone, Lake Garda and Siena.
1982
Italy: Verona, Padua, Mantua, Venice and Vicenza.
1983
Italy: Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia, Viareggio and Florence.
1984
Spain: Madrid, Segovia, Salamanca and Toledo.
Dorset: Beer and Thorncombe.
1985
Turkey (A Study Tour): Istanbul, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Izmir, Troy …
Greece: Kos and Patmos.
1986
Italy: Naples, Ravello, Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento & France: Rouen, Avignon, Arles and Orange.
1987
Egypt: Cairo then cruise along the Nile to Abu Simbel, Luxor and Karnac.
Italy: Milan, Padua, Verona, Parma and Venice.
1988
Italy: Vico, Equense, Naples, Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Italy: Venice, Bologna, Ravenna and Ferrara.
1989
Spain: Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Torremolinos
Spain: Santander, Santiago de Compostela, Leon and Burgos.
1990
Wales: Tenby and Berriew.
East Sussex: Alfriston and Charleston.
1991
Spain: Barcelona.
1992
Ireland (touring).
1993
Manchester and Halifax.
1994
UK Wales: Abergavenny, Aberystwyth, Berriew and Pembroke.
UK: Woodstock and Banbury.
1995
UK: Northumbria, Halifax and tour from Durham to Berwick-on-Tweed.
UK: Edinburgh and Glasgow.
1996
UK: Aberystwyth.
1997
UK: Cardiff.
Robert Meyrick 