Miss Mary Winifred Freeman – The Days Catch

Winifred Freeman was the sister-in-law of the artist Charles Napier Hemy, and a member of the Freeman family, who ran the important granite works in near Penryn bridge, and thereby wealthy, which meant her interest in art could be indulged,. She was born on 26 April 1866 at Florence Place, Falmouth. She studied with Herkomer at Bushey, where she met Henry Scott Tuke. She was living at Newlyn by 1897 and her work associated with the Newlyn School. In 1902 she enrolled at the Herkomer Art School at Bushey, and when this closed in 1904 she stayed on. Her watercolour subjects were mainly interiors, portraits, landscapes and coastal scenes. She also exhibited embroideries. Her embroideries A Flying Dutchman and The Vikings were exhibited at the NAG Christmas Show in 1924 and drew special praise: 'the latter being an original design by this well-known West country artist' (WMN). In 1926 she moved from Falmouth to St Ives, and lived at 7 Bellair Terrace, but does not appear to have exhibited with STISA after 1941. A devout Roman Catholic, she was also unafraid of shocking others by smoking in public and riding on her bicycle in plus-fours with paints and easel strapped to her back. She spent some time in Canada, but also in Brittany, Venice, Paris and Lourdes. In 1926 she moved to St Ives. She died 8 August, 1961, age 95, and is buried in the Freeman family vault at Swanpool, Falmouth. Exhibitions: NWS from 1886 and NG; RCPS 1888; RA 11 occasions between 1895-1912; RI; Liverpool; Birmingham; Manchester Society of Women Artists; Lanham's Winter 1923; NAG 1898, 1907, 1910, Winter Exhibition of Arts and Crafts December 1924, December 1925, 1928; STISA 1932, 1934, 1936 and 1937; Posthumous: 1996: Falmouth Art Gallery; 2002: Penlee House, Penzance Women Artists in Cornwall 1880-1940 (Group); 2008: Falmouth Art Gallery Retrospective.