Terry Anthony interviewed

Above: Dr Syn and Henchmen

Above: Terry Anthony

Above: The Guardian Ghost

Steeped in legend, the Romney Marsh has always been mysterious. Over the centuries, it has been in the frontline of invading hordes of Vikings, Saxons and Normans; in later years, it faced threats from Napoleon and Hitler. The Martello Towers and defensive bastions along its coastline are testament to this legacy.

Strange tales surround the Marsh, and its moods are many and varied, from the serene beauty and tranquility of high summer to the late-autumn days, when the sea mist rises so fast, it shrouds the land in a blanket of enveloping mist so dense you can’t see further than a foot in front of you.

When night falls, the blackness and the isolated cry of the curlew create such ominous feelings, it’s easy to see why tales of ghosts, goblins and the supernatural abound.

Dr Syn
It was against this background that the author, Rochester-born Russell Thorndike, created his famous Dr Syn novels. Set in the latter part of the 18th century, when smuggling ruled the area, the books tell of Christopher Syn, by day, the pious vicar of the parish of Dymchurch under-the Wall and by night, the infamous ‘Scarecrow’, leader of the notorious gang, The Night Riders.

Russell was the brother of an even more famous sibling, Sybil, the actor who later in life was made a Dame. In their early touring days, the duo stayed in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1915. A man was murdered outside their hotel room, his body left where it lay all night. It was this that inspired Russell to start writing about Dr Syn.

Thorndike’s “Jekyll and Hyde” character was also the major inspiration for the work of Terry Anthony, 49, the most senior artist of the Marsh today, and the only person in the world currently painting Dr Syn.

His “Marsh Phantom” series and collection of Romney Marsh paintings, including depictions of the historic churches, capture the contrasting moods of the area, from its darkest and most malevolent to its brightest and most sublime.

Terry’s works have also been a major inspiration to the Romney Marsh singer, songwriter and poet, Jayl, culminating in their collaboration on Jayl’s debut album, The World And The Hooded Man. Terry has produced a new painting, “Holy Ground”, which will be the cover for a new album.

Terry was aware of his destiny from early on. “At five, I was always drawing rather than playing outside,” he says. “And by the age of 12, I was selling pictures done in pencil and oils to my teachers. I knew at the age of eight what my life was going to be – I knew I would be an artist.”

I love the beauty and mood of the Marsh – and the skies are absolutely mind-blowing

So certain, in fact, that Terry turned down the offer of a scholarship to the Royal College of Art – and proved his early promise wasn’t a fluke: his work sold, and would continue to do so, culminating in the cult status he enjoys today.

When Terry, who had grown up in the Marsh from the age of 11, started investigating the history of Dr Syn, he found no visual representation of the character existed.

“It was a like living in Nottingham and never mentioning Robin Hood,” he says. “In 90 years, no-one had created an image for tourists to take away. So I secretly painted one.”

He adds: “I had childhood ideas of how the image should look, and knew enough about the history of the Marsh to know if you had turned up as a stranger 200 years ago, you wouldn’t have got out alive.”

Mesmeric effect
Terry brought out a limited edition print of 200 a decade ago and, to his amazement, it sold. “The image seemed to have a mesmeric effect,” he says. “The landscape was pure imagination, taken from my memories of the Marsh. I found an image of some guys on horseback, changed their uniforms and turned the middle character into the scarecrow.”

He then painted a set of four prints, which became the biggest-selling postcard set on Romney Marsh, selling in its thousands, from Canterbury to Wye, in pubs and galleries, tobacconists and restaurants. His fanbase now extends from Russia to Australia, from New Zealand to Canada, and he is also huge in the US.

“This image catapulted my name to the point I wouldn’t give interviews for three years,” he says. “The News of the World sent a reporter down, they were going to do a spread saying that a ghost of the scarecrow came to me when I was painting in the Marsh. The story was written before they had even met me!

“I rang them up and said if you run the story, I will sue. I didn’t want my son, Taran, who was still at school then, having other kids pointing at him and saying, ‘your dad’s a loony’.”

There was a time when Terry was sick of hearing the name The Marsh Phantom, and moved to Ashford, thinking no-one would know his work. “Then a letter turned up at a gallery I used to go to inviting me to lunch with the Mayor and Mayoress of Ashford. I realised my work was known much further afield than I thought.”

Surprising friendship
Terry’s fame has led to surprising friendships. Michael Hogben, of Bargain Hunt fame, came to one of his shows and said his mate, Vic Reeves, who lives in Charing, would love his work. Then Terry had the idea of creating a painting of The Scarecrow and basing the henchmen on three local celebrities: would Michael and Vic be interested? You bet.

“We were filmed by local TV, me in the studio and them posing for the canvas. The only thing Vic had on that wasn’t original was his shoes,” says Terry. “The paintings themselves are going into the foyer of the Queen’s bank, Coutts, and are replacing Damien Hirst.”

All the celebrities involved will sign the work and proceeds will go to their favourite charity – Vic’s is Port Lympne Zoo.

What is it about Romney Marsh that inspires? “I love the beauty, the mood – and the skies are mind-blowing,” he tells me. “People recognise my work now from the skies. I started eliminating the trees from my paintings, so all you would have would be grass, a river, sky and a reflection.”

Terry, who admires the work of the Pre-Raphaelites “because they were such skilled draughtsmen” and Victorian artists like John Singer Sargent, says his paintings can take a month to complete. “I start with a thin glaze, let that dry, then build up a series of glazes to create a 3D effect – which works superbly with the skies.”

So what lies ahead? Terry wants to bring out an illustrated book based on the “truths of the smugglers – not just the Marsh, but all of Kent’s smuggling history.”

A film must be made
He also thinks it’s time the movie world took notice. “The Scarecrow is perfect for a blockbuster – think of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Rob Roy. He was a pious vicar during the day, but at night became this leader of the smugglers. He would help you, but if you crossed him, he would kill you. A film has to be made.”

He is also hoping to take a show to Spartanburg: “I’m bringing back that quintessentially English character, who was born in their town. The local paper has unearthed the full story of the man who was murdered – apparently he was bullying his wife and the son shot him in the back. He didn’t get moved, no-one in the town cared, and the 18-year-old son was let off. The Scarecrow was born out of that.

“I am always looking for new projects,” he adds. “I like to push my work that much more.”

And he admits he probably will always lead an artist’s way of life: “I don’t know from one week to the next if I will still carry on being successful, but I thrive on it. I do that by producing images that make people go ‘wow’.”

Next Kent Character - coming soon
Previous Kent Character (Simon Hume Kendall)