Helen SEDDON
Born in Shropshire, the daughter of a New Zealand sheep farmer. Studied art in Edinburgh and Paris. Locally she was a pupil of Charles Walter SIMPSON and Fred MILNER. She lived at Morvah Studio, St Ives and exhibited during the 1920s and 30s both locally and at the Society of Women Artists, with her friends in London. She exhibited in Show Days of 1923, and 1924, and in the latter she exhibited The White Sands of Picardy (prior to RA) and Hero Worship. She liked to travel and this is shown in her wide range of titles.
Other titles include Lostwithiel (wc) and Primroses and Polyanthus (wc), both of which were exhibited at the Falmouth Group Show in 1896. She is also known to have exhibited with another friend also from New Zealand, Helen Elizabeth Overbury FOX, at the St Ives Show Day 1923, from the Crab Rock Studio. Her close friends were Dorothea SHARP and Marcella SMITH.
media
Landscape, seascape, and architectural painter in watercolour and oils
works and access
Works include: Sennen and stream ~ w/c. 4 x27 .9 cm (inscribed); Roman staircase~ Canterbury School ; Bow river, Banff Canada; Lakeside farm w/c 28 x 40. 6 cm; Duckpond before the church w/c s 39 cm; Lake Windermere under snow w/c 29 x 39 cm; Cottages at Church Cove Landwednack w/c 19 x 29. 9 cm; Penzance from Castle - an - Dinas w/c 27 . 3 x 31. 8 cm; Cornish cliffs with arch (S) w/c 25.4 x 35.6 cm; From my window cottages Polperro ( s) w/c 25.4 x35.6 cm; Conway castle, the road to Capple Curig; Old bridge near Tewkesbury; Fishing boats before a continental town ~watercolour~28.5x38.7cm; Devils peak Cape town~watercolour~28.5x38.7cm; Stonehenge~watercolour~(s/)26x35cm
exhibitions
1920s and 30s both locally and at the Society of Women Artists
St Ives Show Day 1923, from the Crab Rock Studio
RA
Falmouth Group Show in 1996, Falmouth AG, Exh Cat
memberships
STISA (1928-c1972)
references
Hardie (2009) Artists/Newlyn & West Cornwall p344
Johnson & Greutzner
St Ives Times (23 Mar 1923, 21 Mar 1924)
Tovey (2000) George Fagan Bradshaw - Submariner & Marine Artist, etc. STISA Principal members list p228; (2003) Creating a Splash (Illus); (2009) St Ives/ Social History
Wallace et al (1996) Women Painters in Cornwall 1880-1940
Whybrow (1994) St Ives (1901-10 list pp 213-4)