Sheila Fell (20 July 1931 – 15 December 1979) was an English artist. She was born at Aspatria, Cumberland in 1931. Although she lived in London for the greater part of her life, she devoted her career to painting the Cumberland landscape.

Biography

Early life

Sheila Fell was born into a poor household at Aspatria in 1931, the only child of John (Jack) and Anne Fell. Her father was a coalminer who worked at the Brayton Domain Colliery about a mile and a half from Aspatria. Her mother was a

seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Not ...

.Goldman, R. (ed) 2012
''Breakthrough: Autobiographical Accounts of the Education of Some Socially Disadvantaged Children''
Vol. 212. Abingdon: Routledge Library Editions. . Chapter IV: "Sheila Fell", p. 57-72. By 1936 her father was out of work, but later found work in

Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It i ...

. Whilst working at another pit in Siddick, some time later, he had both legs crushed in a roof fall. After his convalescence, he returned to work for a year, but then gave up work altogether. At the age of six Fell contracted

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

, but her mother refused to have her admitted to hospital, instead caring for her at home.

Education

After her early education at Richmond Hill School, Aspatria, Fell gained a scholarship allowing her to attend

The Nelson Thomlinson School The Nelson Thomlinson School is a comprehensive secondary school located in the market town of Wigton, Cumbria, England. The school's motto is the Latin phrase ''Fide et Operis'', "Faith and Works". The position of Headteacher has been occupied ...

Wigton Wigton is a market town in the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies just outside the Lake District in the borough of Allerdale. Wigton is at the centre of the Solway Plain, between the Caldbeck Fells an ...

, where the teacher responsible for art, Mrs Campbell-Taylor, encouraged her to go to art college. At the age of 16 she enrolled at the Carlisle School of Art (1947–1949), then housed in

Tullie House Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery is a museum in Carlisle, England. Opened by the Carlisle Corporation in 1893, the original building is a converted Jacobean mansion, with extensions added when it was converted. At first the building contai ...

. She later described this experience as a 'dismal disaster'. She explained: "They said I would never make a painter and should do textile design". But she enrolled at

Saint Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's became part of ...

(1949–1951) where she studied under Roland Vivian Pitchforth and John Napper. She gained her National Diploma in Design at the age of 21, and then stayed on for a further twelve months to complete a post graduate course. Fell augmented the grant received from Cumberland County Council by working in a

night club A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

and also at the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director ...

. During her college years she exhibited her work in the Young Contemporaries Show in 1952 and 1953. After leaving college, she worked for a while as a freelance painter during the day, did head modelling, and worked in a café at night.

Career

In 1955 at the age of 24, she held her first exhibition, becoming the youngest ever artist to exhibit at the

Beaux Arts Gallery Beaux Arts Gallery was a gallery at 1 Bruton Place, London, England. It was known as a preeminent center for promoting avant-garde art until its closure in 1965. Founded and operated by portrait sculptor Frederick Lessore in 1923, the gallery wa ...

in Bond Street, London. In December 1955, she appeared on the ten-minute 'Highlight' television programme, which spotlighted the personalities of the day. She joined the teaching staff of

Chelsea School of Art Chelsea College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London based in London, United Kingdom, and is a leading British art and design institution with an international reputation. It offers further and higher educat ...

in 1958. She would never return to live permanently in Cumberland but its landscape dominated her work for the rest of her life. That first exhibition in London sold out and brought Fell to the attention of artist

L. S. Lowry Laurence Stephen Lowry ( ; 1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976) was an English artist. His drawings and paintings mainly depict Pendlebury, Lancashire (where he lived and worked for more than 40 years) as well as Salford and its vicinity ...

, who bought two paintings and a drawing, creating a friendship that would last for many years. Lowry gave Fell all the help he could; he advised and encouraged her, and gave financial support by buying around twenty of her paintings and giving her a weekly allowance of £3 and would often visit her when she returned home to Aspatria for her regular holidays. They would go out to the countryside to paint. Lowry got on well with her parents and always called her "Miss Fell", until shortly before his death. Although never married, she had a daughter Anna in 1958, by the Greek sculptor Takis Vassilakis.

Style and influences

Sheila Fell used powerful, melancholy oils of living landscape, presided over by huge brooding mountains and dark looming clouds. Colour was always less important than tone, she painted the hills and the seas of the area she loved so well, she painted the earth and those who worked it, depicting rich brown soils, piles of potatoes, small groups of driven cattle, indistinguishable farm buildings and terraced houses running along the streets of Aspatria. Several major artists influenced her style, Cézanne,

Constant Permeke Constant Permeke (; 31 July 1886 – 4 January 1952) was a Belgian painter and sculptor who is considered the leading figure of Flemish expressionism. Biography Permeke was born in Antwerp but when he was six years old the family moved to Ost ...

, Auerbach and

Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

are all evident in parts of her early work.

Death

In December 1979,

Hunter Davies Edward Hunter Davies (born 7 January 1936) is a British author, journalist and broadcaster. His books include the only authorised biography of the Beatles. Early life Davies was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, to Scottish parents. For four y ...

began his article for the '' Sunday Times'': "Sheila Fell lives at the top of a long flight of stairs in

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

.” He ended it with Fell's own words. "I don't think of myself as a woman artist. Artists are either good or bad. I also intend to live until 104. I've promised myself I will. It's what keeps me going when I worry if I'll ever have time to do all the paintings in my head". However, by the time the article appeared she was already dead. The inquest into her death reported that she had died of alcohol poisoning, on 15 December, at her London flat. She was 48 years of age.

Awards

Fell's first major award came in October 1957 after she entered a painting in the John Moores Painting Prize competition at the

Walker Art Gallery The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group. History of the Gallery The Walker Art Gallery's collection ...

, Liverpool. The competition drew 3,000 entries, short listed to 250. Fell, the only female winner, came second in the junior section and picked up a cheque for £250. In 1959, she received a 'Boise' travelling scholarship. Although she travelled extensively throughout Italy, Greece, Switzerland and France the period was not a success. As she told one enquirer: "I have an obsession about Cumberland. I have tried painting in other parts of the world, particularly Greece, but it just doesn't work".West Cumberland Times 26 March 1960 In 1967, she was awarded an Arts Council Purchase Award. In 1969 she was elected Associate Member of the Royal Academy and a full membership five years later.

Exhibitions

*1955

*1958 Beaux Arts Gallery *1960 Beaux Arts Gallery *1961 The Derwent Centre,

Cockermouth Cockermouth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England, so named because it is at the confluence of the River Cocker as it flows into the River Derwent. The mid-2010 census estimates state that Cocke ...

*1962 Middlesbrough Art Gallery *1962 Beaux Arts Gallery *1964

Maryport Maryport is a town and civil parish in the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England, historically in Cumberland. The town is situated just outside the Lake District National Park, at the northern end of the former Cumberland Coalfield. Location ...

Education Settlement, Cumberland *1964 Beaux Arts Gallery *1965 Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal *1965 Queen Square Gallery,

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

*1967 Stone Gallery,

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

*1969 Stone Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne *1969 Also exhibited in Arts Council and Contemporary Arts Society touring exhibition *1979 New Grafton Gallery, London *1981 Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal *1981 Salford Art Gallery *2006 Castlegate Gallery, Cockermouth *2011 Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal *2014 Castlegate House Gallery, Cockermouth *2021 Castlegate House Gallery, Cockermouth

Official purchases and public collections

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

, London (three paintings) *

Contemporary Art Society The Contemporary Art Society (CAS) is an independent charity that champions the collecting of outstanding contemporary art and craft for UK museum collections. Since its founding in 1910 the organisation has donated over 10,000 works to museums ...

, London *

, Liverpool * Atkinson Art Gallery,

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

* Carlisle Art Gallery * Sunderland Art Gallery * Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal *

Laing Art Gallery The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, is located on New Bridge Street West. The gallery was designed in the Baroque style with Art Nouveau elements by architects Cackett & Burns Dick and is now a Grade II listed building. It ...

, Newcastle upon Tyne * Swindon Art Gallery * Huddersfield Art Gallery

Notable paintings

* 1955 ''Aspatria wedding'' * 1955 ''Miners'' * 1958 ''Farm Land at Aspatria'' * 1958 ''Portrait of Anna Fell'' * 1959 ''Cumbrian village under snow'' * 1961 ''Snowscape IV'' Tate Gallery collection * 1964 ''Men working in a cornfield'' * 1965 ''Maryport'' Tate Gallery Collection * 1965 ''Skiddaw summer'' * 1967 ''Haystacks in a field'' Tate Gallery collection * 1970 ''Houses in winter'' * 1979 ''Potato pick-ing-clouds'' * 1979 ''Christmas''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fell, Sheila 1931 births 1979 deaths 20th-century English painters 20th-century English women artists Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Alumni of the University of Cumbria English women painters People educated at the Nelson Thomlinson School People from Aspatria Royal Academicians