Marcella SMITH

Miss Marcella Claudia Heber SMITH RBA, RMS, RI, SWA
1887
1963

Born in East Moseley, Surrey, the artist's family moved to America. She studied first at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, and the Philadelphia School of Design, and then returned to Europe to attend Colarossi's Atelier in Paris, taught by Eugene Delecluse.

She first came to St Ives in 1914, her initial success at RA in 1916 being St Ives Harbour. Concentrated on landscapes and townscapes in early years, and painted from 3 Porthmeor Studios by 1920. Moved to London 1921 to live with Dorothea SHARP in Maida Vale, but maintained her St Ives studio. She was invited to contribute a painting to Queen Mary's Doll House (1922).

In 1930s, she concentrated on flower paintings in oil, and increased the size of her canvases. One of these, Peonies, is illustrated in the Falmouth Exhibition Catalogue (1996) and three other titles exhibited were Magnolia Grandiflora, Anemones, and An Arrangement of Herbaceous Cut Flowers, all from private collections.

She lived in St Ives with Dorothea SHARP during WWII, and acted as a curator for Lanham's Gallery, organising exhibitions and running the shows.  After the split of STISA, she returned to London, but continued to go back and forth between the two. She died in 1963 in St Ives at 1 Piazza Studios.

media

Landscape and flower painter, hat designer, author

works and access

Works include: Vase of flowers  - watercolour-60x50cm; The Wharf, St Ives

Access: Government Art Collection; QMDH; Royal Collection; RWE Academy (Bristol)

exhibitions

Market Hall, Penzance 1917, 28 April - 5 March; Great Exhibition and Sale of Work St Ives 1917, June, Lanhams 1918, 5 - 17 August, at her own studio 1919, March 1919, May; Spring exhibition 1919, July 1919, December; Porthminster Beach 1920, February, Lanhams; 

1920, March, works for London Galleries; (3 to RA and 4 to RBA) including Boats, Corner of the Old Harbour, and Part of St Ives

Porthminster Studio , A grey day #5; A Cornish Cottage, Ponsanooth #10; 'Fore Street, morning sunshine' #11

1920, April (27), including; The Warren, St Ives; At their Moorings; The Island; Clouds and Sea, Porthmeor Beach; A Cornish Cottage, Ponsanooth; The Fal, near Truro; September in Sussex

1920, Spring; The Port of St Ives Plymouth Art Gallery (group)

1920, June, Harris & Sons Galleries (group), August in Harbour, St Ives; Summer Afternoon

Burlington House 1918, August, The Pool in the Wood

City of Hull Art Gallery 1924, March, Spring Exhibition

2010: Penlee House, Penzance, 'Sea Change Exhibition' (Group):  The Wharf, St Ives

memberships

STISA: 1933-63; RBA: 1920; SWA: 1922 later VP

references

Personal bibliography: 1955, Author of Flower Painting in Watercolour

General bibliography:

Buckman (2006) Artists/Britain since 1945

Hardie (2009) Artists/Newlyn & West Cornwall p346

Hoyle, H (Sept 2010 Women Artists in Cornwall www.cornishmuse.blogspot.com) Review of 'Sea Change' exhibition, Penlee House

Johnson & Greutzner

Newton et al Painting at the Edge

Tovey (2000) George Fagan Bradshaw - Submariner & Marine Artist, etc. STISA Principal members list p228

Tovey (2003) Creating a Splash (Illus);  (2009) St Ives/Social History

Tovey (2010) Sea Change (illus)

Wallace et al (1996) Women Painters in Cornwall 1880-1940

Wormleighton (1998) Morning Tide, JAP & the painters of light