Died 3 March 2014, Kildare, Republic of Ireland | ||
Wendy Felicité Walsh (9 April 1915 – 3 March 2014) was an artist born in Cumbria who lived and worked in Ireland and was a prolific botanical illustrator
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Family
Born Wendy Felicité Storey in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria in 1915. Educated at home by a governess until she was 14. She painted from the age of six. She was not permitted formal education. During the second world war she worked VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) field nurse. During that time she met her future husband. In 1941 she married John Walsh, a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army. He was originally from Edgeworthstown in County Longford. After following her husband around the world with his work, she moved, with her husband and three children, daughters Lesley, Anna and son Michael, to Lusk, Ireland in 1958 when he retired. One of their children was Lesley Fennell who was based in Burtown House in Kildare. The couple moved there in 1999 and there is a permanent exhibition of her work at the house.
Botanical illustration
In the 1930s Walsh painted dogs for customers. But by 1978 her wildflowers paintings were being used on postage stamps, and until 1984 she was commissioned to produce the art for stamps on the theme of Irish flora and fauna. In 1980 that she was the recipient of her first RHS medal. She continued to win awards through the 80s and 90s. She was awarded a Doctorate from Trinity College, Dublin in 1997.
In 1983, her best known book, The Irish Florilegium – Wild and Garden Plants of Ireland, was published. It was awarded a bronze medal for the 'Most beautiful Book in the World' at the Leipzig Book Fair. She received many awards including the Alpine Society Gold Award in 1991 and 1993.
Walsh produced the art for 15 books on Ireland's flora and fauna. Her work has been exhibited in London, Pittsburgh, Melbourne, South Africa and Ireland. She was nominated the first member of the Irish Society of Botanical Artists two days before her death.