SHEILA FELL Catalogue Raisonne
Date Posted: 10th June 2025
At last - a long awaited catalogue of ALL the works of Cumbrian born artist Sheila Fell. Born in Aspatria1931, educated at Nelson Tomlinson School Wigton, Carlisle College of Art and St Martins School of Art London, she was the first Cumbrian woman to be made a Royal Academician (ARR in 1969 and RA in 1974.) She died in London in 1979 aged 48. L S Lowry, her friend and mentor described her as one of the finest British landscape painters of the 20th century. She loved Cumberland which was the source of her inspiration. Scenes of Aspatria and its people are portrayed in many of her works.
Two retired Cambridge doctors Professor Andrew Bradley and his wife Dr Eleanor Bradley began to collect her work some years ago and became fascinated by it - her life, her story, her history and wanted to see more and decided to find and photograph all her paintings and put them into a catalogue. As Sheila died young they assumed it would be manageable. Many years of research and many miles of travel later they were ready to publish - the result is a Catalogue Raisonne of 471 pieces of art by Sheila Fell which has just been released and is a masterpiece. It sounds trite but it is true that this is a wonderful work of art that stands alone in its own right.
This brilliant book is more than beautiful pictures – it gives an insight into her background, her work and her life. You will find it for sale at Bookends, Castle St. Carlisle and at Bookends, Main St. Keswick at a discounted price of £175 (RRP £195) and I assure you it is worth it.