Ursula McCannell ARCA WICA (d. 2015)

Ursula McCannell was the only child to the painter Otway McCannell, former head of Farnham School of Art. At the age of 13 she showed at the Wertheim Gallery and had her first major exhibition at the Redfern Gallery in London when she was sixteen, which led to her being elected the youngest member of the Woman’s International Art Society and the youngest exhibitor at both the New English Art Club and the Royal Academy (1940).

Ursula McCannell studied at the Farnnham Art School, benefiting from her father’s enthusiasm and discipline. She attended the Royal College of Art where she met Peter Rees Roberts whom she later married. In the succeeding years she had numerous one man shows at prestigious, leading galleries and important group shows including: Royal Academy, Leicester Galleries (London) – ‘Artists of Fame and Promise’, Leger Gallery (London) the London Group and the New English Art Club.

Her work is held in many private and public collections including the Contemporary Arts Society and Manchester City Art Gallery.