Jean Clark (artist) facts for kids

Jean Clark, born Jean Wymer, was a talented British artist who lived from 1902 to 1999. She was famous for painting many different things, like busy towns, beautiful landscapes, colorful flowers, and even large murals on walls!

Meet Jean Clark: An Artist's Life

Jean Clark was born in a place called Sidcup in Kent, England. Her dad, Daniel, was an engineer, and her mom, Jean, came from a family of artists. Her grandfather, John Spreckley Cuthbert, was an artist too!

When Jean was 12 years old, in 1913, she started studying art at the Sidcup School of Art. She learned there until 1919. After that, she spent a year at the famous Royal Academy Schools in London.

At the Royal Academy, Jean met another artist named Cosmo Clark. He had been a captain in the army during World War I. Jean and Cosmo got married in 1924. After their wedding, they traveled to Paris, France, and studied art at the Academie Julian.

Later, in 1928 and 1929, the Clarks lived in New York City in the United States. While there, Jean worked on commercial illustrations, which means she drew pictures for advertisements or books.

When they returned to London, they set up their home and art studio in St Peter's Square in Hammersmith. Many other artists lived nearby, including Eric Kennington. Jean even taught art for a while in the 1930s at a small art school in Broadstairs, Kent. She met the famous artist Walter Sickert by chance, and he asked her to teach there.

During World War II, Jean and Cosmo lived in Leamington Spa. Cosmo worked as a camouflage officer, helping to hide things from enemy planes. Jean helped with land work, which meant she helped with farming or other outdoor tasks to support the war effort.

Jean Clark's Amazing Artworks

Jean Clark created several important murals during her career. A mural is a large painting or artwork done directly on a wall or ceiling. She made murals for churches and other important buildings.

She also showed her paintings, mostly watercolors, in many art exhibitions. She regularly displayed her work with groups like the New English Art Club (NEAC), the Royal West of England Academy, and the Royal Society of British Artists.

From 1945 to 1969, Jean Clark often showed her paintings at the Royal Academy in London. She even had paintings of tennis scenes shown there in 1950 and 1951! She became a member of the NEAC in 1952 and joined the Royal Watercolour Society in 1972.

After her husband, Cosmo, passed away in 1967, Jean moved from London to their old holiday home in Shottisham. She kept painting there for many years. In 1983, a special exhibition of her artwork was held at the Bankside Gallery. Jean Clark passed away in Saxtead, Suffolk, in 1999. In 2002, the Chappel Galleries in Chappel held an exhibition that showed both her and her husband's artwork together.

Murals by Jean Clark

Here are some of the places where Jean Clark created her large wall paintings:

• Corpus Christi Church, Weston-super-Mare.
• The painted ceiling at Woodford Green United Free Church.
• Two murals for the Cutlers' Hall, Sheffield.
• A mural at the Carpenters' Hall, London.
• The Committee Room of the Bankers' Clearing House, City of London.