Patricia Clare Angadi (née Fell-Clark, 23 September 1914 – 26 June 2001) was a British portrait painter and novelist, perhaps best remembered for introducing

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North Ind ...

Early life

She was born Patricia Clare Fell-Clark on 23 September 1914, at 68 Fitzjohns Avenue,

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...

, in north London, the youngest of four children of Robert Fell-Clark (1872–1948), a paint businessman, and his wife, Hannah Clare Fell-Clark, née Williams (1877–1965). She was educated at Frognal School, Prior's Field School, and a Paris finishing school, followed by

Heatherley School of Fine Art The Heatherley School of Fine Art is an independent art school in London. The school was named after Thomas Heatherley who took over as the school's principal from James Mathews Leigh (when it was named "Leigh's"). Founded in 1845, the school ...

, London.

Career

In 1939, at the age of 25, and already enjoying some success as a portrait painter, she was walking along London's

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as ...

when she saw Ayana Deva Angadi (1903–1993), an aspiring Indian writer and Trotskyist intellectual. She said to a friend: "He's gorgeous. I would really love to paint him." A few weeks later, they met by chance at a political rally, and a relationship developed. On 1 May 1943 at Kensington Register Office, they married, and although her parents refused to attend, her governess "Portie" did. The couple were allowed to live on the top floor of her parents' house in Hampstead. The Angadis established the

Asian Music Circle The Asian Music Circle (sometimes abbreviated to AMC) was an organisation founded in London, England, in 1946, that promoted Indian and other Asian styles of music, dance and culture in the West. The AMC is credited with having facilitated the assi ...

, and introduced eastern culture to the UK, including yoga, Indian dancing and music, all quite novel at the time. Their visitors included Indian classical musician

. In 1953, Angadi became chair of the Hampstead Artists Council. She continued to paint, including portraits of

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi or Jehudi (Hebrew: יהודי, endonym for Jew) is a common Hebrew name: * Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), violinist and conductor ** Yehudi Menuhin School, a music school in Surrey, England ** Who's Yehoodi?, a catchphrase referring to the v ...

and her friends

Barbara Castle Barbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn, (''née'' Betts; 6 October 1910 – 3 May 2002), was a British Labour Party politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1979, making her one of the longest-serving female MPs in Bri ...

and

Fenner Brockway Archibald Fenner Brockway, Baron Brockway (1 November 1888 – 28 April 1988) was a British socialist politician, humanist campaigner and anti-war activist. Early life and career Brockway was born to W. G. Brockway and Frances Elizabeth Abbey in ...

. In 1965, the Angadis attended a recording session for the Beatles' song " Norwegian Wood", where Patricia sketched

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

and

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

at work. The following year, she painted a wedding portrait of Harrison and his wife

Pattie Boyd Patricia Anne Boyd (born 17 March 1944) is an English model and photographer. She was one of the leading international models during the 1960s and, with Jean Shrimpton, epitomised the British female look of the era. Boyd married George Harri ...

, and introduced Harrison, and by extension the Beatles, to Ravi Shankar. In the 1970s, she was a teacher at Highgate Primary School, in London. After the suicide of her youngest son Darien in 1981, she found a new direction, and published seven novels, ''The Governess'' (1985), which critics compared to the novels of Mary Wesley, followed by ''The Done Thing'' (1987), ''The Highly Flavoured Ladies'' (1988), ''Sins Of The Mothers'' (1989), ''Playing For Real'' (1990),'' Turning The Turtle'' (1991) and ''My Mother Said'' (1992).

Personal life

The couple "separated amicably" in 1970, and her husband returned to India, and she lived in a house in Hampstead's Flask Walk. Their youngest son

Darien Angadi Darien Robert Kabir Angadi (19 March 1949 – 5 December 1981) was an English singer and actor. Biography Darien Angadi was the son of painter and novelist Patricia Angadi (née Patricia Clare Fell-Clarke), (who introduced George Harrison of th ...

(1949–1981) was a singer and actor, and killed himself in 1981.

Later life

On 26 June 2001, she died at London's

Royal Free Hospital The Royal Free Hospital (also known simply as the Royal Free) is a major teaching hospital in the Hampstead area of the London Borough of Camden. The hospital is part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs services at Barn ...

, following a stroke. She was survived by three of her four children, Daniel (born 1944), Dominic (born 1946), and Chandrika (born 1953).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Angadi, Patricia Clare 1914 births 2001 deaths Artists from London British women artists British women writers People educated at Prior's Field School