A feature published in The Cornishman (1883), entitled 'The Painting School of the Royal Bavarian Academy, Munich' was credited as 'by Richard Quick, a Cornish Student at the Academy' . The dates and references are correct to assume that this is a Bristol-born painter (J&G) who studied at South Kensington School of Art and the Munich Academy (4 Years).
He went on to become the Curator of the Bristol Art Gallery and the curator of the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth (1921-32). His addresses were in London & Munich (1882), after which the above article was published in Penzance, and from Wolverhampton in 1889.
Hilda Quick was born in Penzance, the only child of Richard Hichens Quick and Gertrude Webb Ball. She then trained in art at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London. Her great interest was in woodcuttings and she specialised in wood engraving becoming a pupil of Noel Rooke and then pursuing this study also in Paris. From this period in her student life come illustrations of Normandy and Brittany which she exhibited both in London and in Newlyn at NAG. At home in Penzance, she lived with her parents, from childhood at 10 Penrose Terrace, and latterly at Clarence Cottage at the top of Clarence Street.
The Minutes of the Newlyn Art Gallery in September 1925 record that Miss Quick's 'tint' was to be used as the wall colouring in the Exhibition rooms. In 1936 she was co-opted to the Arranging Committee for the Cornish Loan Exhibition of that year.Her exhibition piece at NAG for 1937 was Amalveor Downs.
Locally she is known to have created designs and wood engravings for the Minack Theatre programmes, and worked directly with Rowena CADE, who created the Minack Theatre at Porthcurno. They also worked together on the Arranging Committee for the Loan Exhibition mentioned above. A story panel at the Theatre museum gives an account of illustrations that she created for the posters and programmes, and full size replicas of some.
In 1948, her book Marsh and Shore, which she both wrote and illustrated with wood engravings, became a bestseller. She also produced studies of workers at the Newlyn Fish Market and other local community activities.
In 1951, following the deaths of both her father (1947) and her mother (1951), she moved to the Scillies and lived at Priglis Cottage, St Agnes, where she was to remain for the rest of her life. She continued to produce wood engravings, illustrations of bird life and annual Christmas cards. In 1964 her book, Birds of the Scilly Isles was published. Her sending-in address for exhibitions in London and elsewhere was St George's Galleries, London. She continued to produce work until her death at the age of 83 (1978).
In 1980, John HALKES and some of her faithful friends put together a small touring exhibition, which was made available upon request around Cornwall in aid of the projected Gallery extension project of the day (NAG). This must have been a rather ad hoc arrangement because her exhibition is not listed in the Gallery programme for that year, though there is correspondence on file proving that it occurred as a show at NAG. It was transported and shown on the island of St Agnes, supervised by her friend Daphne Gould from Hampshire (deceased 2003), who had a summer home there. This was picked up by the Area Museum Council for the South West and made part of their touring exhibitions for loan in 1982-83. It comprised a series of original prints mounted on panels for wall hanging and required about 50 linear feet.
St Ives-born, Kenneth Quick was one of the last of the Cornish apprentice potters taken on by Bernard LEACH, straight from the local school. He showed himself to be one on the most promising of the younger St Ives potters, subsequently spending many years at the Leach Pottery (1945-1955 and 1960-1963).
He was a production thrower of standard ware, but his work soon showed a distinct individuality (which is what Bernard Leach looked for in his students), and when he was fully trained Kenneth taught many of the overseas students to throw. In 1955 Kenneth opened his own workshop - Tregenna Hill Pottery in St Ives - producing items for the kitchen and table, working in stoneware and red earthenware with his own pottery seal. After five years of running a successful one-man venture he took a six month instruction and teaching post in America.
On his return to Cornwall Kenneth asked Janet LEACH and Bernard if he could resume work at the Leach Pottery, to which they readily agreed. He and Bill MARSHALL were mostly responsible for the training of the new influx of pottery students from art colleges who were engaged on a two-year work-trainee basis. After a further two years of working at the Leach Pottery, Bernard and Janet, anxious to encourage the young man in his further development and exploration of pottery, helped him to realise his ambition of going to Japan to study with Phil Whiting. A month before coming home he was tragically drowned in a swimming accident, news which devastated the Leachs.
He studied at Birkenhead School of Art and also Liverpool School of Art, moving from Birkenhead to Little Sutton, Cheshire, in the early 1930s. By 1936 he was living in St Ives.
Thomas Quiller-Couch was the fifth of six children born to the artist Jonathan COUCH and his second wife Jane Quiller. Like his father, he was born in Polperro and also pursued a career in medicine. Having trained at Guy's Hospital in London, he became a general practitioner in Bodmin.
Following in his father's footsteps, he developed an interest in the natural world and some artistic proficiency, and the pair worked together on a History of Polperro. The original manuscript of this publication is held by the Courtney Library.
Quinn was born in Liverpool, and studied at the Ruskin School of Drawing, Oxford, and the Slade School of Fine Art. In 2003-4 he was chosen to be Artist in Residence at Tate St Ives, and in 2004 he exhibited solo at the Tate St Ives with the title 'Utopia Dystopia'. In 2007 another solo exhibition at the Wilkinson Gallery, London was entitled 'My Great Unhappiness Gives me a Right to your Benevolence'. Also in 2007 he was selected for the survey show at the Tate St Ives, entitled Art Now Cornwall, and one of his exhibits was Asleep by the Light of Glowworms (2005).
In 2010 he was appointed to the panel of judges for Britain's largest contemporary painting competition, the John Moore's Painting Prize.
A painting by this artist, entitled Fishing Boats, forms part of the collection at Penlee House, Penzance.
Mabel Oliver was born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, becoming in later years Mrs Mabel Parker.
She was an accomplished artist, having trained at the Slade School, London (1888-1890). There are a number of oil paintings from that period held by members of the Parker family, including powerful studies of male models, and some family portraits. There are also some very effective portraits in pastel. Later in life her painting was mainly in watercolour, the subject matter including evocative scenes from the Breckland with their gnarled Scots pines; lake and coastal scenery; village and country subjects, often including mills, giving her the opportunity to show her skills at depicting reflections in water. Mabel also became very skilled at etching on copper plates, a process involving the handling of concentrated acid, for which she had special sinks installed wherever she lived. Her etchings covered a wide range of subjects, including village and rural scenes, but the bulk of her output was of schools and the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. Although she signed her paintings ‘M. Parker’, she used a pseudonym ‘M. Oliver Rae’ on her etchings. This appears to have been a deliberate ploy to hide the fact she was a woman, which might otherwise have reduced her status in her dealings with the agents through whom she sold her etchings, especially in Oxford and Cambridge.
Drawings and illustrations for books on topography appear to have been a specialty, as two etchings purchased at a local Penzance bookshop for the Hypatia Collection of Women's Art show topographical scenes in the Fowey area. One of her grandsons has now provided us with personal information and reprints of other scenes in Cornwall, which include etchings of St Ives, Polperro, and Lynton. Though Mabel never lived in Cornwall, she travelled extensively in the county and has left many etchings from her visits here. Two of her great-grandchildren working today are recognised and talented painters/exhibitors elsewhere.
Elizabeth Raeburn studied Studio Pottery at Harrow School of Art. While there, she spent a brief but influential time as a production student in David LEACH's workshop. In 1975 she moved to Somerset, where she established a pottery with Rodney Lawrence. Since 1981, she has concentrated on Raku firing.
Her work is represented on the British Craft Council Selected Index, and in many public and private collections at home and abroad.
Wife and two daughters, Hazel and Pansie, were with the artist in St Ives. St Ives association before 1900.
Peter Rainsford was born in Tavistock, Devon in 1921 and lives in Bath. He studied at Chelsea School of Art, 1950-4, under Robert Medley and Raymond Coxon. From 1967 he became an antiquarian bookseller, but continued to paint and draw.
Peter was a member of Penwith Society in St Ives, showing at Newlyn Art Gallery, John Whibley and Comedy Galleries and with Cornish Painters at Plymouth in 1960. He had solo shows at Newlyn Art Gallery in 1960, at St Martin’s Gallery in 1962, and at Penwith Galleries, St Ives, 1979. He is currently showing at the Katharine House Gallery in Marlborough.
Fowey Museum owns an oil painting by this artist, Bodinnick Ferry (1876). Nothing further is currently known.
Deb Ramsay-Trease lives in Gulval, near Penzance. She is a regular exhibitor at STISA open shows.
According to the St Ives Marriage Register, on 20 Aug 1894 by Banns, Frederick Winthrop Ramsdell (27), bachelor Artist, of Tregenna Terrace (Father, Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell, Builder) married Edyth John (22), spinster, of Albert Place (Father, Thomas Trewhella John); Witnesses Trewhella John and Mary John. No further information at this time.
The artist was born in Sheffield, and studied at the Royal College of Art. He exhibited silver works from the first craft show at NAG in December 1924 to 1937, and was elected to membership of the Newlyn Society of Artists (NSA) in 1935.
At NAG in 1926 he exhibited hand-wrought silver, and in the summer show of 1929 he showed a replica of a claret jug and a beaten silver 'Pilgrimage Girdle'.
Philip Rashleigh exhibited at NAG in 1937. Both he and his wife studied with Stanhope FORBES. His wife (no personal name known) attended the school of painting in 1935-6, and her husband the following year (1937).
There is some confusion related to the name 'Philip' which is clearly published in the pupil list, and the name 'Frank Rashleigh' which is used for exhibiting purposes. This may be the same person, or two different members of the Rashleigh family of Cornwall.
A painting by Frank R Rashleigh is held in the collection of Redruth Town Museum, entitled View of Carn Brea (oil on canvas).
Natasha Ratcliffe is a sculptor who was born in Southport. In 2001 she undertook foundation studies in Art and Designat Oxfordshire School of Art and Design. This was followed by a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Falmouth College of Arts in 2004.
She currently lives and works in Falmouth.
Described by the Western Morning News as a London exhibitor who 'also specialises in pottery' at the Summer Show at NAG in 1927.
Ethel Rawlins was born in Northamptonshire. She studied art initially at the Slade, and then in Newlyn, possibly at the FORBES School. In the 1901 Census she is recorded as living in Penzance, and was in St Ives at the time of the 1911 Census. She was involved in the St Ives art scene until 1915.
She was a regular exhibitor at SWA until 1927, when she moved to Hassocks, near Ditchling, in Sussex. She showed her work again at SWA from 1948 until 1962, the only Cornish subject during that period being a depiction of Coverack in 1953. At the time of her death in 1974 she was living at Nynehead in Somerset.
Born in Feltham, Middlesex, Ray moved to Cornwall in 1974, becoming Principal of the St Ives School of Painting three years later. Working from the Porthmeor Studios, with his home nearby, Roy was a founder member of the Porthmeor Printmakers. A regular lecturer, and organiser of group shows at the Penwith Gallery, the Mariners and the Tate, Ray was a unique and constructive leader in many community art ventures together with his wife Beryl, and offered enthusiastic encouragement to many incomers through course work and exhibition experiences. His first solo exhibition was at the Salt House Gallery, St Ives, in 1981. Close friends included Bob DEVEREUX, Roy WALKER, Bryan PEARCE and many others in the artistic community.
His residencies included Falmouth School (1983), Wigan, Lancashire (1986) and the Lander School, Truro (1987, 1992). He was a longtime member of the NSA and Penwith Society of Arts. His own paintings, many executed as a result of viewing the earth from the sky, are rich in tone and colour, and explode with a vibrancy of the sun and gradations of light. His work is in permanent and private collections nationally and locally.
Roy Ray died in May 2021.