Mary Nicol Neill Armour facts for kids

Dr Mary Nicol Neill Armour, born Mary Steel, was a famous Scottish painter. She lived from 1902 to 2000. Mary was known for her beautiful paintings of landscapes and everyday objects. She was also an art teacher and held important roles at the Glasgow School of Art.

Mary Armour's Early Life

The famous Glasgow School of Art, where Mary Armour studied.

Mary Nicol Steel was born on March 27, 1902. Her hometown was Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. She was the oldest of six children. Her father, William Steel, worked with steel.

When she was young, Mary first wanted to become a teacher. She won a special scholarship to attend Hamilton Academy from 1914 to 1920. There, an art teacher named Penelope Beaton noticed her talent. Penelope Beaton later became a head teacher at the Edinburgh School of Art. She became a role model for Mary. Beaton convinced Mary's father to let her study art. So, Mary went to the Glasgow School of Art from 1920 to 1925.

Starting Her Career as an Art Teacher

After finishing her art studies, Mary trained to be a teacher. She then worked as an art teacher in Glasgow and Cambuslang. In 1927, she married William Armour, who was also a painter. They lived in Milngavie, near Glasgow.

At that time, married women were not allowed to keep their teaching jobs. So, Mary had to resign. This meant she had more time to paint. However, she would have preferred to keep teaching.

Mary and her husband started the Milngavie Art Club in 1927.

Mary Armour's Art and Recognition

Mary Armour showed her paintings often. She exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. She also showed her work at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. In 1937, she won the Guthrie Prize there. She also exhibited with the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolour and the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts.

In 1941, she became an associate member of the Royal Scottish Watercolour Society. She became a full member in 1956. In 1958, she joined the Royal Scottish Academy.

Returning to Teaching Art

Later, the rules for married women teachers changed. Mary Armour was able to return to teaching. From 1951 to 1962, she taught still life painting at the Glasgow School of Art. Many of her students were soldiers returning from World War II. Their training had been stopped by the war. Their interest in modern European art influenced Mary. Her own paintings became more colorful and flowing.

She stopped teaching in 1962 to paint full-time. This led to a very successful period in her career. Her artwork was in high demand. In 1972, she won the Cargill Prize from the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts. She became a full member of the Institute in 1977.

In 1982, the University of Glasgow gave her an honorary Doctor of Law degree. This is a special award for people who have achieved great things. She was also made an Honorary President of both the Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts.

The Armour Award is named after her. It is given each year by The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts. It celebrates excellent work by young artists.

Mary Armour continued to paint until 1988. Her eyesight then became too poor. She passed away in Paisley, Renfrewshire on July 5, 2000.

Mary Armour's Artwork Style

Blackwaterfoot, a seaside village where Mary Armour and her husband often painted.

When Mary Armour studied at the Glasgow School of Art, she learned to create strong and well-planned paintings. She was also very independent. For her final project, she chose to paint a "Pit Head Scene." This was different from the religious paintings her tutor expected.

Mary is most famous for her still life paintings of flowers. But she also painted still life without flowers. She created many beautiful landscapes, seascapes, and some portraits too. She learned from other artists like Anne Redpath and her friend David Donaldson. Her painting Still Life with Pomegranate is a great example of her work from the late 1940s.

When Mary taught at the Glasgow School of Art in the 1950s, she learned a lot from her students. Their interest in new art styles changed her work. Her brushstrokes became freer. Her colors became brighter and more lively.

Mary and her husband often painted the sea at Blackwaterfoot on the Isle of Arran. She once told a friend that she wanted to be remembered for these seascapes.