Name Marjorie Blamey | ||
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Books Wild Flowers of the Medit, The Wild Flowers of Britain & I, Flowers in Watercolour, Marjorie Blamey's Wild Flow, Cassell's Wild Flowers o | ||
Marjorie Blamey MBE (born 1919) is an English painter and illustrator, particularly noted for her botanical illustrations for which she has been described "the finest living botanical illustrator", "the best contemporary botanical illustrator" and "the top illustrator in Europe" in reviews around the world.
Life and work
Blamey spent her early years on the Isle of Wight where she was encouraged to paint and draw. An editor from a London publishing house spotted her work at a display of amateur art in Cornwall and her career as a full-time book illustrator was born. Before that she and her husband Philip had successfully run a small dairy farm near Liskeard for 20 years and she had also worked on the stage and in photography. She took up illustrating professionally at the age of 48, Her first commission was for a book on magnolias by the Cornish horticulturist Neil Treseder. Another early book, and Blamey's first major success, was Wildflowers Of Britain And Ireland, published by Collins in their famous Pocket Guide series. Translated into all European languages, it has sold more than a million copies and is still in print. She illustrated this book and the text was written by Richard Fitter, probably the most successful author of natural history field guides ever. Fitter's son Alastair contributed the distribution maps. Marjorie Blamey has stated "It was a privilege to work with Richard. He was such a vivid writer." She soon became regarded as one of the leading botanical illustrators in the world.
Over the years, Blamey has built up an archive of more than 10,000 paintings of flowers from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean, which are used in publications worldwide. These illustrations are all carefully kept in files as well as on the computers of the Blameys and their editor in France. It is part of her husband Philip's role to look after the archive. She has won three gold medals from the Royal Horticultural Society and two from the Alpine Garden Society. Marjorie Blamey's books have also received accolades. Cassell's Wild Flowers Of Britain And Northern Europe was selected as Book of the Year by the journal Natural World in 1989, while Wild Flowers Of Britain And Ireland was the Book of the Year choice of the Botanical Society of the British Isles in 2003. Another book, Wild Flowers By Colour, was the Editor's Choice of BBC Wildlife Magazine in 2005. She is also a founder member of the charity Plantlife International which concentrates on the conservation of plants.
In 2007 Blamey was presented with an MBE at a special ceremony in Fowey. She felt that a trip to Buckingham Palace would be too tiring and was presented with her award for services to illustration by Lady Mary Holborow, the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, at the Fowey Hotel. Marjorie Blamey's daughter, Anne Irons, said of the occasion: "We had a brilliant time, it was just wonderful. The whole family is so proud of her. A group of 20 family members, including grandchildren, children and my aunt and uncle, met at the hotel to see Lady Mary hand my mother the award, and read a citation. We then enjoyed a wonderful buffet lunch."
Marjorie Blamey lives with her husband Philip at their home in the Cornish village of St Germans.