Awards
Of life
The Oscars were last night and that’s just a sentence I’m using to get into this post about Gary Bunt and how he organized his life by awards of a different kind. It’s definitely not about how my favourite movie (Hamnet) didn’t win, or how I wish the K-Pop Demon Hunters had actually sealed the Honmoon to protect us from 2026. Congratulations to Maggie Kang and team, also. It’s so exciting to witness — the movie and the win.
Anyway the link I’m making is: awards.
Gary Bunt was a British artist whose paintings I discovered on Instagram, somehow, one day. They have that folksy warm quality of popular Canadian painter Maud Lewis, but maybe less flat and with more feeling. I love them both.
Gary Bunt began painting in his signature style when he thought he was going to die. He was diagnosed with cancer, and not knowing how much time he had left, he felt free to paint as he wanted. He began to paint his dad into his paintings, and a dog, and their life through the English countryside, and the old man and the dog went onto become the main characters in most of Bunt’s paintings.
Eventually Bunt saw the old man as himself, and the life he might not get to live.
Bunt passed away in July 2025.
Last month, I was talking to a friend about Bunt and since she hadn’t seen his work I went to his website to show her. And there I saw the familiar joy and charm of the man and dog, but also something else.
Under About/Awards, the awards listed aren’t what we think of as awards — given to you by organizations, or juries, or popular vote.
They are milestones in his life time; awards he gave himself. Or maybe since he was a religions person, gifts given by God.
Have a look at the first few:
AWARDS:
1964 My Yellow Book for good conduct and helpfulness
1965 Tunbridge Wells Recorder Festival
1967 20 yards Swimming Certificate – Doggy paddle
1968 Cycling Proficiency
1970/1 Gold Award for House points
1972 Mr Howard, 6 strokes
1977 Awarded caution for possession of cannabis
1978 3 points for speeding
1983 Wedding Certificate (No1)
1983 Son 7lb, 12oz
I’m not sure what rubric he used, but it’s definitely one that’s personal to him, and to him only.
Got me thinking. If I made such a list of awards. If you made such a list of awards.
I haven’t received any awards in my life except for a math award in Grade 8, but am I wrong? What if I already got lots?
Gary Bunt's art and his achievements are such a powerful antidote to modern hustle culture :')
I love this idea! For two years now, I’ve been noting all the happy moment/small achievements and put them in a jar to read at the end of the year. But I throw them away after. It would be nice to keep them, like he did.