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. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

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

Early life

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

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, 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, 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 between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to t ...

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, 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 Menuhin, Baron Menuhin (22 April 191612 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. ...

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 (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament from 1945 United Kingdom general elec ...

and Fenner Brockway. 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 activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

and

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

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 Harris ...

, 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 (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, 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 Alumni of the Heatherley School of Fine Art British women artists British women writers Novelists from London Painters from London People educated at Prior's Field School People from Hampstead Schoolteachers from London