Flora Twort facts for kids

The Old Mill, Langstone

Flora Caroline Twort (born June 24, 1893 – died 1985) was a talented English painter. She was famous for her beautiful watercolours and pastel drawings. Her art often showed scenes and people from Petersfield, a town in Hampshire, England.

Discovering Flora Twort's Art

Early Life and Learning

Flora Twort was born in Yeovil, Somerset. Her parents were Albert Samuel Twort and Jane Rapley. She started painting when she was only four years old! Flora went to several art schools. These included the South Hampstead High School, the London School of Art, and the Slade School of Art. She also studied at the Regent Street Polytechnic.

Her Special Bookshop

After World War I, Flora moved to Petersfield. There, she opened a secondhand bookshop. It was located at Numbers 1 and 2 The Square. She ran the shop with two other young women. Besides books, they also sold handmade jewellery, pottery, and textiles. The shop became well-known as one of the best bookshops in the South of England.

Flora's art studio was right above this shop. She worked there until 1948. At that time, the three partners decided to close the shop. Flora then moved her studio to a nearby place called Church Path.

Showing Her Art

Flora Twort's paintings were shown in important art galleries. This included the famous Royal Academy in London. She continued to paint until she was 81 years old.

What Her Art Was Like

Flora's pictures were usually watercolours. They often showed local scenes from Petersfield. Her paintings were full of people and animals. For example, she painted "The Square on Market Day." She also painted the fair on Petersfield Heath.

Besides watercolours, Flora also made drawings. She used pencils, crayons, charcoal, and pastels. She created some wonderful portraits of people too.

A Special Friendship

Flora Twort was a good friend of the writer Nevil Shute. In 1925, he asked her to marry him, but she said no. However, they remained friends for their whole lives. Flora even became the godmother to his daughter, Shirley Anne. For a short time in 1939, Shute and his family lived in a house called The Old Mill. This house was in Langstone and belonged to Flora.

Her Legacy

When Flora Twort passed away, she left her studio cottage and her pictures to Hampshire County Council. Today, you can see a selection of her pictures in her old studios. These studios are now called the Flora Twort Gallery. The pictures on display are changed twice a year. Hampshire County Council has also put 600 of her pictures online for everyone to see.