Mary Fedden RA (1915 - 2012)

Mary Fedden, British painter, born in 1915 in Bristol where she boarded at Badminton School leaving for the Slade in London from 1932 to 1936, then painting sets at Sadlers Wells she returned to Bristol teaching. She worked in the Land Army during WWII and Women's Voluntary Service settling in London taking up stage painting and propaganda murals being asked to join the Navy as a driver in 1944.

Thankfully Fedden survived the war holding an exhibition at Heal's in London via their Mansard Gallery of still life and flower paintings. Getting a job to paint magazine covers for Woman she moved to studios overlooking the Thames, Durham Wharf in Chiswick which is where she stayed all her life with fellow artist Julian Trevelyan who she married in 1951. She taught at the Royal College of Art during the 50's being elected to the Royal Academy in 1992.