Mary Stork (1938-2007) Figurative Cornish Artist

Painter, member of Penwith Society of Arts and close friend of Rose Hilton

Mary Stork was born in Portsmouth in 1938 and became a quietly influential figure in British modern art, particularly within the Cornish art scene. Her early education at the West of England College of Art placed her under the tutelage of Paul Feiler, a key figure in post-war British abstraction. She later studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, where she won major awards and exhibited with the Arts Council’s Young Contemporaries—a prestigious platform for emerging talent.

While at the Slade, she met and married fellow artist Jeremy Le Grice. The couple settled in St Just-in-Penwith, Cornwall, a region that would become central to her life and work. Here, she formed close friendships with artists Karl Weschke and Rose Hilton. Weschke’s expressionist sensibilities and Hilton’s lyrical figuration both left a lasting impression on Stork’s own style, which leaned toward figurative mixed media—often combining watercolour, charcoal, and gouache.

Stork’s career was punctuated by long periods of domestic focus. She paused her artistic output for over a decade (1970–1980) to raise her family in Porthleven following the end of her first marriage and subsequent remarriage. This hiatus, though significant, did not diminish her creative drive. In 1982, she returned to painting full-time, exhibiting in regional galleries such as the Rainyday Gallery in Penzance and later becoming a member of both the Penwith Society of Artists and the Newlyn Society of Artists.

Her work, often centred on the human figure, was noted for its emotional depth and technical precision. She drew inspiration from classical draughtsmanship and was influenced by artists like Matisse and Modigliani, whose treatment of form and line resonated with her own aesthetic. Her pieces were regularly exhibited in Cornwall and London, and she remained active until her death in 2007.

Her art continues to be collected, particularly by those with an appreciation for post-war British figurative traditions.

Sources: www.artbiogs.co.uk and other web based articles.