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.
Jonathan Michael Ray was born in High Wycombe. After undertaking a foundation diploma in art and design at Bucks Chilterns University College, in 2007 he obtained a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University. This was followed in 2016 by an MFA in Fine Art Media at London's Slade School of Art.
He says: 'Much of my art practice is deeply connected to my surroundings. I examine the multilayered histories, fictions and beliefs assigned to artefacts, materials and the places I encounter.'
This multi-disciplinary artist has been the recipient of a number of art residencies and awards in the UK and abroad.
His work has gained critical acclaim not only within the UK but also worldwide.
Born at Ashton-under-Lyne, he studied under Sir Frank Short and Professor Moira at Royal College of Art in South Kensington. He attended Julian's Academy in Paris, training under J P Laurens.
Ray-Jones moved to Carbis Bay in early 1930s and took part in the 'black and white' section of STISA. He worked in the Down Under Studio in St Ives, and died by his own hand.
Through the good offices of a recent correspondent (2013) we have been able to add the following four links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Ray-Jones;
http://www.tameside.gov.uk/blueplaque/raymondjones
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/raymond-ray-jones
London-born artist and son of the well-known teacher-artist Frank Spenlove-Spenlove.
To distinguish himself from his father he and his wife in the earlier part of his career, exhibited in the name of Francis Raymond. His full name was Algernon Francis Raymond SPENLOVE-SPENLOVE. (See entry in this name)