Jean de Courtenay Isherwood; watercolour artist
Hyfler/Rosner
January 6, 2006 Friday 6:09 PM AEST
HEADLINE: NSW: Water colour artist dies in Tamworth, aged 94
BYLINE: Tara Ravens
DATELINE: SYDNEY Jan 6
Australian watercolour artist Jean de Courtenay
Isherwood has died at her home in northern NSW. She was aged
94.
Best known for her modern landscapes, Ms Isherwood
lived with her painter daughter Jacqueline Dabron in
Tamworth.
"She spent most of her time at home painting and
went on to win many awards," said Brian Langer, manager of
the Tamworth Regional Gallery.
"She was active right to the end and was even
painting last year.
"But she knew the end was coming and had not been
well for a while."
With more than 16 solo shows in Sydney, Melbourne
and Brisbane under her belt, Ms Isherwood won more than 100
first prizes in city and country art competitions.
In 1986, she exhibited 32 oil paintings
illustrating Dorothea McKellar's famous poem My Country and
in 1994 was awarded an OAM for her contribution to the arts.
"She was a lovely person who was always willing to
talk about her background and interest in the arts," Mr
Langer said.
"She had a real passion for art and was a very
strong supporter of regional galleries."
Born in Sydney in 1911, Ms Isherwood first trained
at the National Art School on a scholarship when she was 15.
Following that, she took a position as a fashion
artist with an advertising firm while taking night classes
in life drawing.
For the next 10 years she worked as a freelance
fashion artist and illustrator, painting in her spare time.
Ms Isherwood first exhibited with the Australian
Watercolour Institute in 1934 and from there regularly
showed with the major exhibitions and art societies.
In 1961 she started teaching painting and drawing
with the National Art School and was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Art Society in 1976.
Ms Isherwood is represented in the National Gallery
of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW, Howard Hinton Collection,
Armidale Regional Gallery, Tamworth Art Gallery and many
other regional galleries and private collections.
She is survived by her daughter.