Molly Biscoe is an artist and musician who graduated from Falmouth University with a BA (Hons) Illustration in 2015. She works from Krowji studios, Redruth.

Bishop was born in London and subsequently studied at the Slade, in Paris, Brussels and Pittsburg, USA. He also travelled in the Middle East.  In 1888 he was one of the founder members of the St Ives Arts Club. His exhibiting career was extensive and primarily involved showing at the NEAC and the RA.   The Chantrey Bequest bought his painting Shakespeare's Cliff, Dover in 1933, the year following his entrance as an Associate to the RA.

Lizzie Black is a painter based in Mousehole.

Graham Black is a printmaker with 25 years' experience in the design industry. He lives in St Buryan, near Penzance.

John Blackburn has lived and worked in Cornwall since 1969. His subjects include landscapes, seascapes and portraiture.

Pamela Blackburn moved to Cornwall from Hampshire in 1969. She began painting in the 2000s and lives in Helston. She describes herself as largely a traditional and representational watercolourist.

Keith first came to Cornwall in the early 1980s and has visited regularly ever since. In the 1990s he lived for a time in Newlyn and also at Cadgwith.

Keith's father was a sculptor. His own art studies were begun at Wakefield College of Art and continued at Neville's Cross in Durham. This he followed up by teaching arts and crafts for several year in the North of England.

Bednar has identified this artist as being born in Chester on 14 April, 1864 (GRO) who lived at 112 Fore Street, Newlyn for a decade from 1890. The 1891 Census lists him as S K M Blackburn, an Artist Painter, born in Cheshire lodging in the home of Eliza Trahair and her daughters, the latter being milliners and dressmakers. A fellow artist sharing the lodgings was Frederic MILLARD.

Correspondent Bill Curnow added to our biographical information on this artist with the following: 'On 14 May 1898 Ernest Robert Ireland Blackburne (34, artist, of Newlyn, son of John Ireland Blackburne, wine merchant) married Mildred Emily Perkins (19, of Newlyn, daughter of Thomas Norwood Perkins). What adds a bit of spice and color to the story is the fact that young Mildred's father was the Vicar of St. Peter's, Newlyn, where the marriage took place.'

With the Cornish painters he exhibited at Dowdeswells (1890) and at Nottingham Castle (1894). At the 1895 opening at NAG: 'Mr Ireland B is represented by one of his Academy canvases, The Song of the Sea Birds and a new picture of Marazion Marsh, which is quite in his best manner.'  Though no sales appear for the artist in the Sales Record of the Newlyn Art Gallery, Blackburne took part in 1902 exhibition organised for those associated with the Cornish colonies at Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1902, with his painting A Wind-swept Wessex Valley.

From Newlyn he moved in 1900 to Dorset, living near Poole in the village of Lilliput, where he died, aged 83.

An art student working in the St Ives colony in the late 1890s (Tovey), who 'captivated local audiences with his mandolin playing.'  He worked from Back Road Studio and contributed frequently to the social entertainments in the St Ives community. A colour plate of his Boat by the Wharf, St Ives (1897) is published in Tovey (p243). His sending-in address was nearby Lelant. Later he lived at Merlewood in Bournemouth, Hampshire.

 

Born in Sunderland, in 1870, William Kirkbride Blacklock was the second son of William Blacklock, a painter, and his wife Eleanor Kirkbride, who were married at Sunderland. In the 1881 Census, William was an 8-year-old living at 5 Hudson’s Buildings, Bishop Wearmouth, Sunderland with his parents and his older brother Robert, all born in Sunderland. His father died in 1883, and in 1891 young William was 18, working as a pawnbroker and living at 10 Corporation Road, Rickersgate, Carlisle, his mother by now having remarried.

William had artistic ambitions, and in 1898 moved to London to study at the Royal College of Art, winning the Queen's Prize for Drawing, and going on to become a painter in oils and watercolour. A number of paintings by him of Venice dated 1901 would suggest that he spent some time living in Europe. In 1902 he attended Edinburgh School of Art for several years, during which time he was using the forename 'Kay'. An obituary indicates that he became Head Master of the Edinburgh Academy.

He married in Chelsea in 1909 [Nellie] Ellen Eliza RICHARDSON. He seems to have added ‘Kay’ as his middle name when he took up as an artist. Nellie, a painter in her own right who exhibited at the RA, was also his model for a series of paintings from 1910 to 1917. William probably also painted in Holland, as the subjects and titles of his paintings suggest, and his subject matter and style is akin to that of Elizabeth FORBES.

Blacklock was a prolific painter of genre scenes in an academic style, and had 17 works hung in the Royal Academy between 1897 and 1918.

 In the 1911 Census Blacklock is listed as a 41 year old artist painter at 46 Gunter Grove, Chelsea with his wife, and a one year old daughter Eleanor Irene, who had been born in Chelsea.  By 1912 they had moved to 'The Barn' Walberswick, where there was an active artists' community. In 1916 they were still living there. In 1921 their address was 152 Fosse Road, South Leicester, but they moved on to Liskeard, Cornwall.

It was probably in 1921 that they settled in Polperro, living at 'Stonehaven', at the bottom of Talland Hill. He painted extensively in both oils and watercolours in the village. Blacklock died in Polperro, Cornwall in 1924, aged only 54.

 

See William Kirkbride BLACKLOCK.

Initially a potter, Clive turned to painting full-time in 1984. The artist was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey and attended Twickenham and Kingston Schools of Art. He came to Cornwall at the age of 20 in 1960, and concentrated wholly upon the potters' arts in both porcelain and stoneware.

As a painter he has worked steadily between France (Provence) and Cornwall, where he lives near Helston. Buckman lists a partial exhibition record, the WCAA keeps an ongoing list of current exhibitions in London and elsewhere. In 1992 he was included in the Artists from Cornwall Exhibition at the RWA. 

The artist is listed as a member of NSA (2009).

JoJo Blacksmith works from Krowji Studios in Redruth.

Carolle Blackwell's imaginative sculptures, created from local stoneware clay, are influenced by ancient cultures.

Carolle died in 2022.

Peter Blagg: A Critical Appreciation: by the late Michael Canney, Director of Norman GARSTIN, Penzance, Cornwall
 

'As a native of Camborne-Redruth, I know that visually these towns are far from inspiring. Mining has shaped both of them, together with the surrounding countryside, so that finding an artist at work here is something of a surprise. However, Peter LANYON drew and painted around Dolcoath Mine at the Western foot of Carn Brea. The multi-talented Norman GARSTIN produced many of his early works here, under the encouragement of Arthur HAMBLY, influential head of the Redruth School of Art.
 

Thirty-three years ago, Peter Blagg too captured much of the character of the area in a series of evocative paintings and drawings, but he unaccountably seems to have been overlooked by critics and historians of art in Cornwall. A typical title of one of Blagg`s drawings, `Redruth: View Towards Carn Brea`not only gives the flavour of his work at the time, but also indicates that countryside and seascape are knocking at the suburban door here, so that these works are townscapes and landscapes combined, Blagg`s subject matter is 
found in the heartless granite terraces of Redruth, the surrounding fields and mine dumps, in mine engine houses, furzey hedgegrows with brass bedsteads in lieu of farm gates. It takes an exceptional artist to find inspiration here: to rise above the 
overwhelming melancholy of industry dead and gone – of subsistence farming, but Blagg does allow himself the luxury of painting the neighbouring sea-coast, indulging in positively `Lanyonesque` gestural works with their freely brushed imagery. These are unique.
In 1963 or thereabouts, I arranged an exhibition of Blagg`s work in the lower gallery at Newlyn, where, I recall, it looked well. It was impossible at time to discern what he might do in the future or where his talent might take him? Over thirty years on, I now look forward to seeing the answer.'
Michael Canney ( Curator; Newlyn Art Gallery/Broadcaster B.B.C. Bristol) September 1996

Peter Blagg exhibited at the Newlyn Art Gallery in 1963.
 

An artist identified as F Blair exhibited a painting in the Summer Exhibition at NAG in 1926. This artist may or may not be the same person as Frances M BLAIR in the next entry.

Frances Blair produced watercolours and woodcuts. Before her move to Cornwall she was based in Edinburgh and was a member of the Scottish Society of Artists.

Born in Padstow, Cornwall, she became the wife of Samuel Blake. In the 1891 Census, she is identified as living at 55 High Street, Falmouth, and as a teacher of Art Needlework.

A major exponent of Pop Art, Blake became internationally recognised in the 1960s. Falmouth Art Gallery holds some of his work.

2016 NEW INFORMATION JUST ARRIVED: A cousin of Justin Blake has written with the following information: 'His birth name was Paul Richardson, the son of Stella and Bernard Richardson of Barnet, Herts and he had a brother Andrew, who I believe went to live in the Adelaide area of Australia.' I remember Paul fondly as he was a really nice person, though I heard that he was a little flash for Mousehole, driving an E-type Jag.' The cousin lives in Western Australia, and has tried to locate Andrew without success. Any help would be appreciated.

2013:'My husband bought a Justin Blake from the artist in the 1960's. I found another which I bought 20 years ago. Justin Blake was missing and his body was found down a tin mine. An artist in Lamorna told us this and that this is why his output was reduced.'
 

Previous enquirers: Three welcome correspondents have contributed the following memories:

A. 'I noted the entry of the painting The Talisman fishing boat Mousehole, for this artist.  My daughter did see this painting for sale a few years ago in an art gallery in Mousehole and was interested, because I have a small original, oil on board bought from the artist in Mousehole during the 1960's. It depicted the harbour showing the Lobster Pot Hotel which sadly, has now been redeveloped. I spent several holidays there.   My late husband used to go out shark fishing on The Talisman with Frank and Phillip the owners of the boat.    I bought the painting at the time when the artist was short of money and had a small child.  I have wondered what happened to him.  I believe he used the name 'Justin Blake' as there was an artist of a similar name to his real name - which I do not know -  painting at the same time in St Ives.' (2011)

B. Another correspondent (2012) writes that he would also like to know more about Justin Blake and what has happened for him. He has a painting that he bought from the artist in the 1960s, which hangs again in his study after a few years in the attic until a recent move.  He met the artist painting at the harbour in Mousehole, and came back the following day to collect the finished subject. 

C. A third correspondent (2012) writes from Adelaide, Australia:  About 15 years ago, I walked into a second-hand shop near my home, and saw a painting hanging on the wall.  I had to buy it as it brought back many memories. The painting looks towards The Lobster Pot and a row of buildings behind.  From memory I think Andrew's Street runs behind it. In the forefront is a circular area of sea, with a couple of small boats tied up.  It is signed by Justin Blake on the the front.  On the back is a label saying,`Original oil by JUSTIN BLAKE,SEASCAPES,FISHING VILLAGES, STORM AND WRECK.  Studio at Wavecrest, Mousehole, Cornwall, England.

A correspondent (2020) has told us of a 1960s Justin Blake painting entitled 'Sir Francis Chichester in the Roaring 40s' depicting a sailing boat in the midst of a squall, which he inherited from his father.

A correspondent (2018) has been in touch to share his memories of Paul, whom he knew in 1962, when they travelled together from London to Devon, finding work and accommodation in Cockington. The correspondent remembers Paul writing poetry and doing portraits on the quay at Brixham.

This correspondent contacted us again in 2024 to advise us that, following some research, he has found that Paul Bernard Richardson was born in 1943 and died in Penzance in 1984. He is sure this is the same artist known as Justin Blake. 'Bernard' was apparently his father's name.

 

Referred to as an artist about whom information is held at the St Ives Archive Trust.  Nothing else known at present.

See Charlotte Blakeney WARD

Sarah Blakey works from a studio which is part of The Old Workshop, a unique historic building in Charlestown.

Marjorie Blamey's art career began in earnest when she was invited by the Cornwall Garden Society to show some of her floral works at their Spring Flower Show. Since that time she has taken to botanical and floral illustration with enthusiasm and success. Her first commission was from Cornish horticulturist, Neil Treseder, to illustrate a book on magnolias.

She has built up an impressive archive of more than 10,000 paintings of flowers and plants, and her husband, Philip, has taken on the work of building up these files. Her illustrations are employed in many books about wild flowers, alpine flowers, and food. She is also author of Learn to Paint Flowers, published by Collins. She has won three gold medals from the Royal Horticultural Society and two from the Alpine Garden Society. (WMN, 13 Feb 2007)

In 1984 an exhibition of her paintings was held at the RIC/RCM, in Truro. In 2007 she was presented with her OBE medal by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Lady Mary Holborow. She and her husband lived in St Germans.

Sydney Josephine Bland was born in York to Irish parents. In 1891 the family were living at Northam in Devon, at which time she was known as 'Kate'. In 1901 she was at school in Willesden, London, and in 1911 was working as a hospital nurse in the City of London. Between 1920 and 1922 she studied art at Heatherley's under Henry Massey, and also at Goldsmiths with Harold Speed (1922-3). She undertook further study with Bernard Adams. During the 1930s she had a studio in the Fulham Road, London, and first exhibited with SWA in 1938.

Her scenes of Newlyn and Polperro indicated a love of Cornwall. She exhibited a watercolour of Polperro at the RI in 1940. In 1945 a Polperro subject was included in her exhibits at the Newlyn Society of Artists. By 1948 she was living at 35 Fore Street, Newlyn, later moving to Swan's Flight, Boase Street. In 1964 (by then in her 80s) she moved to Ingwenia at Carbis Bay. She remained in Cornwall for the rest of her life. 

Blasbery studied art at Croydon College of Art, focusing on painting and printmaking.  Her exhibition at Falmouth Art Gallery in 2000 included her icon painting, A Song of Praise (oil & gold leaf).  This was representative of her stated intention of 'expressing a spiritual life-force in each painting which in themselves are only a minute part of the spiritual whole surrounding us'. [20 Years of contemporary art]

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