Works by Percy Kelly

Artist Biographies

Sheila Fell Biography

Sheila Fell (1931-1979) is regarded as one of Cumbria’s most important 20th century artists. She was born in Aspatria and throughout her life the Cumberland landscape was a major focus for her art. She applied her paint thickly and was influenced by Cezanne, Van Gogh and Frank Auerbach. Fell’s father was a miner, and her mother was a seamstress. She was educated in Wigton and attended Carlisle School of Art 1947-1949. She was urged to pursue textile design but left Cumbria in 1950 to study at St Martin’s School of Art in London.

In 1955 she had the first of five significant exhibitions at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London where L S Lowry first saw her paintings. He greatly admired her landscapes and purchased several of her early works, some of which are displayed here. Lowry became a close friend and vital life-long supporter. Fell greatly respected Lowry. They had a similar artistic approach, painting subjects they knew intimately. Lowry accompanied Fell on her visits to Aspatria. They stayed with her parents and often painted together.

Fell also became a guest lecturer at the Royal College of Art in 1967 and began exhibiting at the Royal Academy in 1965. The Stone Gallery, New Grafton Gallery and Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Kendal also exhibited her work. She was elected Associate of the Royal Academy in 1969 and Royal Academician in 1974. She became a fellow of the Royal Society of Artists in 1976.

Percy Kelly Biography

Percy Kelly (1918-1993) is one of Cumbria’s best loved artists. He was a superb draughtsman and developed his own linear style. His output was wide ranging and inspired by his love of his native Cumbria. He was drawn to the Western Lake District, but pretty scenes did not interest him. He depicted the lakes, fells, coast, villages, harbours and industry. He created spectacular panoramas, produced prints, delicate flower studies, still-lives, interiors and calligraphy. In the last decades of his life, he became a prolific letter writer covering his letters with his illustrations.

Kelly was born in Workington into a working-class family and was naturally gifted from childhood. He left school at 14 and had no formal art training until he was 41. He had to draw each day otherwise he became depressed. In 1958 he gave up his job as postmaster in Great Broughton following a breakdown. He moved to Allonby with his family and became a full-time artist. He studied printmaking at Carlisle College of Art from 1961-1965. Throughout his life many people and galleries wanted to purchase and exhibit his work, but he could not bear to part with it. He preferred to be surrounded by his lifetime’s work. He remained poor throughout his life as a result and only had five exhibitions. In 1973 Kelly left Cumbria for good and moved to Wales. He spent his final years in Norfolk. In 2017 Tullie House staged the first major retrospective of his work ‘Percy Kelly: Line of Beauty’.

Lynn Dennison Biography

Lynn Dennison (1958-) was born in Penrith and now lives and works in London. She works across disciplines, including video, installation and collage, to explore our relationship with our environment, particularly the natural environment. Often based in the documentation of place and the human interaction there, she is interested in situations where culture and nature converge.

She studied B.A. Fine Art at the Slade School of Art and completed an M.A. in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins in London. Her work has been commissioned and supported by grants and awards and exhibited nationally and internationally. She has participated in workshops, residencies, talks and events. She teaches Foundation and B.A. students and mentors other artists.

Exhibitions of her work include ‘Human Traces’ at Flowers Gallery, New York; ‘Clepsydra’ at Birmingham University; ‘Waterfall and Border Country’ at the De La Warr Pavilion; and ‘Imagine’ at Palazzo Pesaro Papafava, Venice Biennale 2019; ‘Sea Swimmers’ video installation, Brunel Boat Museum, Watchet, Somerset. She is the winner of the 2015 RBS Sculpture Shock Award and the 2018 Flickering Stone Award Australia. She has recently held residencies at the University of Birmingham, the Florence Trust and Abney Park, both in London.