Camille Souter
Encyclopedia
Camille Souter, born Betty Pamela Holmes, is a painter
. Though born in Northampton, England, in 1929, she was raised in Ireland
. She was elected Saoi
of Aosdána
in 2008.
She originally trained as a nurse and began painting during the 1950s while recovering from illness. Her name '"Camille" is actually a nickname given to her by first husband Gordon Souter in reference to the consumptive heroine of Alexandre Dumas
' La Dame aux Camélias.
Camille Souter captures light and color, texture and form in intimate almost abstract paintings of unexpected subjects, her subject matter has included landscapes, still lifes and slaughterhouses.
In Circa 89 in a review of Camille Souter's joint show with Nano Reid
, Vona Groarke
writes: "Camille Souter's paintings have a statuesque elegance to them, even when the subject is something as banal as silage bags. She is an artist who avoids prettiness while seeking beauty."
The Bank of Ireland
held her painting Over the Bog, created in 1962. This painting was donated by the bank in 2008 to the Irish Museum of Modern Art
.
The Douglas Hyde Gallery held a retrospective of her work in 1980.
She lives on Achill Island
.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. Though born in Northampton, England, in 1929, she was raised in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. She was elected Saoi
Saoi
Saoi , is the highest honour that members of Aosdána, an association of people in Ireland who have achieved distinction in the arts, can bestow upon a fellow member...
of Aosdána
Aosdána
Aosdána is an Irish association of Artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers and with support from the Arts Council of Ireland. Membership, which is by invitation from current members, is limited to 250 individuals; before 2005 it was limited to 200...
in 2008.
She originally trained as a nurse and began painting during the 1950s while recovering from illness. Her name '"Camille" is actually a nickname given to her by first husband Gordon Souter in reference to the consumptive heroine of Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas, fils
Alexandre Dumas, fils was a French author and dramatist. He was the son of Alexandre Dumas, père, also a writer and playwright.-Biography:...
' La Dame aux Camélias.
Camille Souter captures light and color, texture and form in intimate almost abstract paintings of unexpected subjects, her subject matter has included landscapes, still lifes and slaughterhouses.
In Circa 89 in a review of Camille Souter's joint show with Nano Reid
Nano Reid
Nano Reid was an Irish painter. - Biography :The Irish landscape artist, figure painter and portraitist Nano Reid was born in Drogheda, County Louth in 1905. In 1920, she won a scholarship to study fine art painting and drawing at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art - now the National College of...
, Vona Groarke
Vona Groarke
Vona Groarke is an Irish poet.Groarke was born in Edgeworthstown in the Irish midlands in 1964, and attended Trinity College, Dublin, and University College, Cork...
writes: "Camille Souter's paintings have a statuesque elegance to them, even when the subject is something as banal as silage bags. She is an artist who avoids prettiness while seeking beauty."
The Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland
The Bank of Ireland is a commercial bank operation in Ireland, which is one of the 'Big Four' in both parts of the island.Historically the premier banking organisation in Ireland, the Bank occupies a unique position in Irish banking history...
held her painting Over the Bog, created in 1962. This painting was donated by the bank in 2008 to the Irish Museum of Modern Art
Irish Museum of Modern Art
The Irish Museum of Modern Art also known as IMMA, is Ireland's leading national institution exhibiting and collecting modern and contemporary art. The museum opened in May 1991 and is located in Royal Hospital Kilmainham, a 17th-century building near Heuston Station to the west of Dublin's city...
.
The Douglas Hyde Gallery held a retrospective of her work in 1980.
She lives on Achill Island
Achill Island
Achill Island in County Mayo is the largest island off the coast of Ireland, and is situated off the west coast. It has a population of 2,700. Its area is . Achill is attached to the mainland by Michael Davitt Bridge, between the villages of Gob an Choire and Poll Raithní . A bridge was first...
.