Adams, Norman (1927-2005)

Painter, stage & costume designer, mural & ceramics artist & teacher, born in London. He studied at Harrow School of Art, 1940-6, then Royal College of Art, 1948-51. Had first solo show at Gimpel Fils in 1952. Adams made an early name as a stage designer, in 1951 handling the Royal Ballet’s A Mirror of Witches at Covent Garden, in 1953  the Sadler’s wells production Saudades. Murals were also a strong theme. In 1969 he gained an Abbey Major Award for the study of mural painting. He won a commission for a ceramic relief of the Stations of the Cross for the Roman Catholic church Our Lady of Lourdes, in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire in 1975-6. From 1962-70 Adams was head of the painting school of Manchester College of Art; he was professor of fine art at Newcastle University, 1981-6; then was professor of painting & keeper at Royal Academy, being elected RA in 1972. Adams sais his work was concerned with his religious beliefs or the lack of them. Tate Gallery holds his work. Lived in Horton-in-Ribbesdale, Yorkshire.

The above extract has been taken from David Buckman’s Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945, Art Dictionaries Ltd, 1998,  p. 52.

Andrade, Athene (1908-)

Modern British

Was a painter, printmaker & excellent  portraitist.

She studied at the Central School of Arts & Crafts & at the

Bromley & Beckenham School of art. She exhibited at the RA, SWA, NS & other venues. She taught at the WalthamstowOpen Air P. D. School & the LCC Evening Institute after which she was a London County Council Assistant Mistress.

 Bray, Phyllis (1911-1991)

Painter, illustrator, muralist & collector, born in Norwood, London. She was married for several years to the painter John Cooper, until the marriage was dissolved, their daughter being the artist Philippa cooper, then married Eric Phillips. Her father was William de Bray, who had been attaché to Maria Fyodorovna, mother of the murdered Tsar Nicholas II. As a child she wanted to be an artist & claimed to be the youngest scholarship student at the Slade School of Fine Art when she joined it, was a favourite of henry tonks & won a Slade Drawing prize. In the mid-1920s Cooper spearheaded formation of the East London Group of painters with which Phyllis Bray was closely involved. Her connection with the East End was strengthened when she completed three large murals for the People’s Palace in the Mile End road. For over 40 years helped the mural painter hans Feibusch, working in many churches around Britain. Bray joined LG in 1934, showing with it regularly, also at Leicester Galleries, Wildenstein, Drian gallery & Mignon Gallery, Bath. She also did a large volume of publicity, including work for Shell, the John Lewis Partnership & London Transport; her book illustrations included Alison Uttley’s A Traveller in Time. Memorial show at Collyer-Bristow, 1998.

Source: The Dictionary of artists in Britain since 1945 by David   

               Buckman, 1998, Art Dictionaries Ltd.

 Bowyer, William ( 1926-       )

Painter & teacher, father of the artists Jason & Francis Bowyer. He was educated at Burslem School of Art & Royal College of Art. Bowyer won the City of London Art Award in 1963. Went on to become Head of fine art at Maidstone College of Art, 1971-82. As well as painting landscapes Bowyer was a noted portrait painter, his portrait of Arthur Scargill, the miners’ leader, & Viv Richards, the cricketeer, being bought by National Portrait Gallery in 1988. He was commissioned by Marylebone Cricket club to paint the Bicentenary Game at Lord’s in 1988. Bowyer was a member of RWS, RP & RBA & was honorary secretary of NEAC, also showing at RA, to which he was elected in 1981, New Grafton Gallery & elsewhere. The RA, Chantrey Bequest, Arts Council & other public collections hold his work. Lived in London.

The above extract has been taken from David Buckman’s Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945, Art Dictionaries Ltd, 1998,  p. 176.

  Chalon, John James (1778–1854)

Swiss painter of French descent, born in Geneva on 27 March 1778. Chalon’s family were French Protestants who had fled persecution in France. Chalon did not remain in Switzerland long, however. By the age of 18 he had enrolled in the Royal Academy schools, and he exhibited his first oil painting at the Academy in 1801. Yet it is Chalon’s watercolours that brought him most esteem. In 1808 he was elected a member of the Society of Painters in Watercolours; he went on to exhibit regularly at the Old Watercolour Society and the British Institution from this period until 1843. A landscape and genre painter, he advocated the benefits of open-air sketching and became one of the founders, also in 1808, of the ‘Society for the Study in Epic and Pastoral Design’, although this later became known as the ‘Bread and Cheese’ Society (from the fare of their evening meetings) before finally earning the title of the ‘Chalon Sketching Society’ or just the Sketching Society. At his best, his landscapes have an element of freshness and vitality that attest to his working practice based on outdoor sketching. He was elected a Royal Academician in 1841 and died in London on 14 November 1854. He was always close to his brother Alfred Edward Chalon RA (1780–1860), a portrait and subject painter, who was equally well known and a co-founder and pillar of the Sketching Society with him.

 Coates, Tom (1941-  )

Artist in oil, watercolour & pastel in the spontaneous, English tradition. He studied at Bournville College of Art, 1956-9, Birmingham College of Art, 1959-61, and Royal Academy Schools, 1961-4, his teachers including Peter Greenham. Won several prizes & scholarships during his studies & many after. As well as showing widely in mixed shows in London & the provinces, Coates was for a time president of the RBA & a member of RWS, RP, NEAC & PS, of which he was president. His one-man shows included a number at New Grafton Gallery. Coates carried out a series of prestigious commissions, including one for the RWS in 1990 to paint the ceremonial procession celebrating HRH The Queen Mother’s ninetieth birthday. Wrote Creating a Self-portrait, 1990.

Source: David Buckman’s Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945, Art Dictionaries Ltd, 1998, p. 273

 Fechenbach, Hermann (1897-1986)

Born in Germany, lost a leg fighting for Germany in WW1. Fled to Britain  after 1933 & settled in Oxfordshire. He exhibited at the Anglo-Palestinian Club & the Ben Uri Gallery in the 1940s. His works only came to prominence during the last year of his life when he exhibited at Blond Fine Art.

The wood engravings for the first Book of Moses was begun in 1929 & only completed in the 1960s, the collection published in 1969: Genesis, The first book of Moses, A. R. Mowbray & Co. Ltd.

 Rayner, Henry (1902 – 1957)

Modern British 

Henry Rayner was born in Australia and worked there and in New Zealand before coming to Britain.  He studied at the Royal Academy and was a good friend of Walter Sickert; they drew and painted together. He was badly wounded in the blitz and became reclusive toward the latter part of his life.  Amongst his many admirers was Augustus John who specially liked his drypoint etchings.  Until now, Rayner’s work has been known more widely in France and in Russia.

Henry Rayner is represented in the Ashmolean Museum, the Queen’s Collection, The National Portrait Gallery, the Rijksmuseum, The Melbourne National Gallery, The National Museum of Wales, The Manchester Art Gallery, The Congressional Library, Washington, The Royal Library of Belgium and The Industrial Museum, Aberdeen.

 Smith, David (1920-1998)

Painter using a richly Expressionist palette, draughtsman, printmaker and teacher, born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, where he attended the Technical School, also Lowestoft and Norwich Schools of Art. From 1939-40 Smith was visiting art master at Framlingham College, then he served in Royal Air Force, 1940-45; a collection ofhis Air Force pictures toured the country in aid of a Forces' charity, finishing at Cooling Gallery, opened by Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader. After the war Smith studied at Slade School of Fine Art, winning the Abbey Major Rome Scholarship at the British School, Rome, 1949. Further teaching included senior lecturer in Fine Art at the Chelsea School of Art, 1965-79. Smith was elected RE in 1951, also showing at the RA, LG, New Art Centre and elsewhere. He had over 60 solo shows in Britain and abroad, later ones including retrospective at Evesham Arts Festival, 1990; a major show at Sogo Art Gallery , Yokohama, J apan, 1991 ; and a retrospective at Bankside Gallery, 1996. Smith sold well in Japan, where he painted all the major harbours. He was official artist to the British Antarctic Survey, 1975- 76, with a second voyage in 1979-80. In 1982-84 he was invited by Trinity House to record the lighthouses of England and Wales. He illustrated Richard Woodman's book View from the Sea and Anthony Fogg's The Discovery of Antarctica. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, the British  Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, Barclays Bank and many other corporate  and private collections hold examples, as well as public galleries in  Blackpool, Lincoln, Portsmouth, Sheffield and elsewhere. Lived in  London. 

Source: Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945 by David Buckman

Publisher: Art Dictionaries Ltd. 1998 edn.

 Smith, Ed (1923-1988)

Painter & draughtsman, born in Detroit, Michigan, America as Edward Lionel Smith. His father was English, his mother-who died when he was 15-was half Red Indian & half American. Lived in New york with an aunt & joined the Art Students’ League there, resuming after World War II service in the Canadian Army after desertion from the Marines. After a short period in Paris moved to London & had a show at Arts Council, 1948. Joined Royal Academy Schools & St. Martin’s School for etching in 1949, then went to live in Paris. A roving life followed, including periods in Sweden, Australia & then Afghanistan & Bangladesh as a war artist. After returning to London in 1980 he went to Israel for a time. Additional shows included Obelisk Gallery, 1960, World’s End Gallery in 1979 & in 1991 an extensive show was held at John Denham Gallery.

Source: David Buckman’s Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945, Art

Dictionaries Ltd, 1998, p. 1117