About 'CLIXBY'
Charles Frederick Watson was born to William and Louise Watson, in their home
in Milstead Street, on Brixton Hill, in London, on the 6th June 1906. His father was a sailor in the Royal Navy, who saw much action at sea. Sadly, Charles contracted polio at the age of five, which left him with one permanently crippled leg. Ironically, this huge set-back was the means by which he was encouraged to commence an astounding artistic career. Whilst in hospital, and unable to move much, he occupied his time drawing with a donated set of colour crayons. His great love for art, and his dexterity with pencils and brushes, began in that hospital.
Charles Watson's time in school was not completely happy, because his disability required him to walk with a stick, which made a noise. This attracted unkind remarks and nick-names, such as 'Clickety-Click'. Seeking to make friends of his fellow pupils, he encouraged them to call him 'Clixby' instead. He did not tell them that 'Clixby' was his mother's maiden surname. So, the nick-name Clixby stayed with him through his school years. Later - when he could have done - he refused to relinquish it. At college, in interviews, and when meeting important clients, he insisted on always introducing himself as Clixby. In the final school examinations, although he did well overall, his best results were for 'Art', and (by now) he had become popular.
After four years of study at St Martins School of Art in London, during which time J.Allan
was the principal, Clixby (like the other students) looked for employment, in order to acquire a regular source of income. Very quickly, he obtained a post at Adlett's Film Studio, where advertising films were made. In his spare time, Clixby created book jackets for publishers who were looking for 
bright and attractive pictures. When only twenty-one years of age, Clixby had his first one-man exhibition of his paintings, at the Faculty of Arts, which was a great success. Realising that he should now be able to work free-lance, without being under the authority of an employer, he resigned from Adlett's.
As a free-lance (but poor) artist, his first commission was to travel to Antwerp, in order to provide the artistic background for an extensive diorama. On his return, it was back to book-jackets and any graphic work he could attract. After a few months, Clixby was offered regular work with Greenly's Ltd, who were able to assist him in his desire to expand his knowledge of the advertising industry. Slowly, the demand for more and more free-lance commissions forced him to eventually part company with Greenly's.
Now, at the age of twenty seven, Clixby began to develop two careers, and gave each of them as much time as possible. One was the commercial art-work (done mainly through the London Art Service) which paid well, and the second was personal painting which he loved so much. His standards were always of the highest, and he innovated new techniques, which were much admired. In 1932, the Radio Times offered him a contract, which continued for many years. Many of the cartoonish drawings between paragraphs in that weekly publication, as well as covers (from 1939), came from Clixby's pen and brushes, as David Driver states in his book on the subject: The Art of the Radio Times (1981). During these years, he gained a fascinating interest in drawing and painting ladies of all ages. The images he created in his notebook later provided him with a huge resource for his graphic work. He said that his favourite artists were William Hogarth and Thomas Rowlandson.
Clixby's draughtsmanship was of a very high order, to which he brought an instinctive understanding of both colour and form. One summer, staying with a friend who was in the
process of converting an Oast House, he watched paving slabs being cast for the garden. Clixby's sense of mischief encouraged him to draw (with his walking stick!) in the wet concrete a series of feminine outlines. Those pictures are still there, with the outlines now enhanced in green decorative moss. Over the years, the many business men with whom he came into contact began to respect artists much more, after they had discovered Clixby's intelligent charm. Lesser known artists, and new ones joining the profession found that Clixby would always find time to freely encourage them.
For all those who knew him, Clixby will be long remembered for his wisdom, gentleness,
and wit, together with his powerful tenor voice, which often floated across valleys whilst he painted! More than once, his studio echoed as he painted, created graphics, and sang!
In 1945, at the close of the Second World War, the big commercial firms wanted to advertise their branded goods again, but in full colour. As the editor of 'The Artist' magazine said at the time: "There will be a tremendous boom in commercial art ..... the demand for commercial artists will be greater that the supply". Everything from food to fashion needed 'new look' adverts, and Clixby was pleased to share his expertise, if they were willing to pay! Before the advent of computers and digital cameras, talented artists were the best way of portraying items successfully, and so Clixby's phone was ringing every day. As the editor of 'The Artist' wrote: "One artist who will be kept busy from morning until nightfall, is Charles Clixby Watson. He knows his job and produces first-rate art".
Then, without any self-advertising, Clixby's excellent commercial art attracted the editors of magazines which needed upgrading from war-time black and white. So, Good Housekeeping, Nash's Magazine, Woman, Romance, Family Star, Women's Realm, and the Radio Times (to name just a few) got the Clixby Watson treatment. Some of Clixby's work is now shown in the Advertising Archives web-site (under 'Clixby Watson').
Clixby and his mother moved to 'Romany Cottage', on Gypsy Lane, in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, in order to be both closer to nature and also away from the now changing bustling London. This was a shrewd move, because Marlow provided not only a wonderful pool of illustrative matter, but was also (and long had been) the home of other artists and writers. Amongst others, Edward John Gregory, Hamlet Bannerman, Frances Bannerman, and Stanley Spencer (the artists) had earlier chosen Marlow. Likewise, Percy Shelley (the poet) and Mary Shelley (the creator of 'Frankenstein'), Thomas Love Peacock (the satirist and author), T.S. Elliot (the poet and playwright), Francis E. Smedley (the novelist), and George P.R. James (the prolific author) had been inspired in this beautiful old town. Marlow had so many romantic connections!
Clixby travelled to America, and worked there for a time, creating new logos, advertisments, covers, and packaging, for various American companies. Whilst there, he met other artists, including the (now) famous cartoonist Sol Brodsky (of 'Marvel' comics fame). There is an historic photograph of Sol Brodsky, which is signed alongside Clixby's name. During one artistic phase, and whilst seeking to enlarge his potential, and move away from his accepted style, Clixby did a limited number of illustrations under the name Tom Counter. He experimented with various styles and was unafraid to be both modern and traditional, like his artist friend (and near neighbour) Stanley Spencer (now Sir Stanley).
In 1954, following the death of his mother, and the end of their life together in 'Romany Cottage', Gypsy Lane, Marlow, Clixby married Aileen Young, a Scottish widow, who had taken up her previous secretarial career following the death of her husband. She had become the General Secretary of the Society of Industrial Artists - an organisation which developed into The Society of Industrial Artists and Designers, and then the Chartered Society of Designers. Walking into those offices in 1953, Clixby met a woman with whom he was sure that he could be happy. It was not going to be easy, because Aileen was a committed Christian, and Clixby had dallied with agnosticism. However, both were patient and tolerant, and the experience was good for Clixby, because he now had a different family life to enjoy, which included a step-son.
After the wedding, they moved to an ancient house in Dassells, near Braughing, in Hertfordshire, called 'Tuck's Cottage', and enjoyed a blissful existence until Clixby's early death in 1964, aged 57. In Dassells, Clixby did some of his best work, and even attempted some religious paintings, based on what he learned at Braughing Chapel, which he had begun to attend. His religious paintings are now much sought after. The illustrations in the book 'Jumbo Spencer' were all done, on site, in Braughing.
Clixby's death, in 1964, "leaves the world a poorer place on two counts"
wrote Ronald Dickens in the SIA magazine: "the loss of an artist of considerable ability and integrity, together with the loss of a man who had great understanding, sympathy, and intense humanity". Clixby instructed his wife to insist that mourners must not offer floral tributes, but instead donate gifts to the Artists General Benevolent Institution. If Clixby had any enemies, his family, wife and his many friends were unaware of them. As artists go, Clixby was someone with rare and memorable qualities. He is greatly missed.
A few of Clixby's drawings were used in the (2005) rave novel 'Womans World' by Graham Rawle, in which (strangely) the text is not type-set, but is pasted in from old magazine clippings!