London, Main Part of Career, 1911-1961
Watercolour ‘Buckingham Palace from St James’ Park’, 1939
Kathleen lived in London intermittently, aged 32-82 years
London was always a key location for Kathleen creatively. At the start of the twentieth century, she travelled there regularly to study at the Slade School of Fine Art, frequent the Chelsea Art School [1] before her European travels, and to work with Madame D’Esterre at Danver’s College in Chelsea (see section: Commissions-Pioneering Women) [2]. Records exist for around 25 titles of London scenes over the years, including some early ones of The Gaiety Strand (see below), The Old Curiosity Shop (see below), Kensington Gardens, Old Church Chelsea, and St Paul’s.
Watercolour ‘The Gaiety Strand’, 1908
Watercolour ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’, c 1912
In 1908, Faulkner & Co. [3] purchased six of Kathleen’s watercolours, which were reportedly printed as London’s first art postcards—created by affixing paper reproductions of her artwork onto card (ref. art proof, blank postcards, and sent postcards). The cards show paintings of Bow Church Cheapside (see below), Parliament Street (see below), St Paul’s from Surrey (see below), Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s, Embankment Westminster, and The National Gallery.
Postcard watercolour ‘The National Gallery’, c 1908
Postcard watercolour ‘Embankment Westminster’, c 1908
Postcard watercolour ’St Pauls from Surrey’, c 1908
After her marriage in 1911 at 31 years of age, Kathleen was based in London on and off for the rest of her life. She changed her name to KE Temple-Bird and the signature on her paintings. She had a studio and drew inspiration from London throughout her career (see ‘Buckingham Palace from St James’ Park,’ 1939 at top of page).
London was the peak of Kathleen’s exhibiting time - her paintings regularly shown at London institutions, and at the various art societies she was a member of (see section: Exhibitions & Memberships). This was also her peak sales period (see section: Sales). Kathleen moved around a great deal over the years but generally lived in the Kensington and Chelsea, or Hammersmith and Fulham areas. From 1930 to 1933, she lived close to many art contemporaries, including Harold Squire (1881-1959), fellow Slade alumnus, and several of her commission subjects and contacts from various societies.
From the 1920s onwards, Kathleen worked from Gwendwr Road London W14 and many of her artworks mention this address, except when she moved back to Chelsea (Edith Grove) for 1931-1933, and during the Second World War, when she relocated to St Ives Cornwall (see section: St Ives). However, she visited London regularly during the war, for example in 1945 (aged 66) Kathleen stayed with her best friend Hilda Marsham at 22 Blomfield Road Paddington, and painted views of the barges on Regent’s Canal in Little Venice and a portrait of Hilda’s daughter Susan.
Watercolour ‘From 22 Blomfield Road’, 1945
Watercolour ‘Susan’, 1945
It was during this period in London that Kathleen created the majority of her 70 portraits. She drew quick sketch portraits for political causes from 1911-1914 (see section: Politics), commissions of well-known people (see section: Commissions x 2), and many of her 26 family portraits (see sections: Family Background, Family Life, and Travels in Britain), seven portraits of friends, and three self-portraits. She also undertook quick portraits for sale during the Second World War (see section: St Ives).
References
Chelsea Art School, 1903-1907, was a teaching studio at 4-5 Rossetti Studios, Flood Street, Chelsea set up by Slade alumni William Orpen and Augustus John as a joint venture. Both male and female students were admitted to the School, but the sexes were segregated for the Life classes. John was able to co-opt several of his ex-Slade colleagues for lectures and demonstrations
https://suffolkartists.co.uk/index.cgi?choice=painter&pid=6437
Mme Elsa D’Esterre’s biography webpage by researcher Martha Burgin: https://sites.google.com/site/desterrekeeling
C.W. Faulkner & Co, London (1870-1950) was a publisher/printer producing cards, calendars, card games, diaries, etc.
