Marjorie Blamey

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Marjorie Blamey
Born
Marjorie Netta Day

(1918-03-13)13 March 1918
Talawakelle, Sri Lanka
Died8 September 2019(2019-09-08) (aged 101)
St Germans, Cornwall, England
NationalityBritish
Educationat home; RADA
Known forbotanical paintings
SpousePhilip Blamey (m. 1941, his death 2014)
Children4
AwardsMBE

Marjorie Netta Blamey

botanical illustrations for which she was described as "the finest living botanical illustrator", "the best contemporary botanical illustrator" and "the top illustrator in Europe" in reviews around the world.[2][3]

Life and work

Born in

RADA in 1934 and parts in several films. She was also a successful photographer and exhibited at the London Salon of Photography. During the Second World War she trained and then worked as a nurse and drove ambulances. She met her future husband who was a junior officer in the Staffordshire regiment. They married in 1941 and subsequently had 4 children. After the war, she and her husband successfully ran a small dairy farm near Liskeard
for 20 years.

An editor from a London publishing house spotted her work at a display of amateur art in

Richard Fitter, probably the most successful author of natural history field guides ever. Fitter's son Alastair contributed the distribution maps. Blamey stated "It was a privilege to work with Richard. He was such a vivid writer."[3] She soon became regarded as one of the leading botanical illustrators in the world.[5]

Over the years, the Blameys' built up an archive of more than 10,000 paintings of flowers from the

Mediterranean, which were used in publications worldwide. They travelled extensively so she could paint specimens and flowers were also sent to her. These illustrations were all carefully kept in files as well as on the computers of the Blameys and their editor in France. It was part of her husband Philip's role to look after the archive.[3] These paintings, and their related notes and pressed flowers, are now permanently loaned to the University of Plymouth, UK. Other painting are in public and private collections.[4]

She was awarded three gold medals by the

Plantlife International
which concentrates on the conservation of plants. Her books have been translated into at least 10 languages.

In 2007, Marjorie Blamey was presented with an MBE at a special ceremony in Fowey.[6] 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. 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."[5]

Until his death in 2014, Blamey lived with her husband Philip at their home in the Cornish village of St Germans. She remained there until her own death at the age of 101, in September 2019.[3]

Selected publications

Books where Blamey contributed the illustrations and sometimes text include:[4]

  • Cottage gardens (1969) Roy Genders
  • Scented Wild Flowers of Britain (1971) Roy Genders
  • Food for Free (1972) Richard Mabey
  • Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe (1974) Marjorie Blamey, Richard Fitter and Alistair Fitter
  • Magnolias (1978) Neil G. Treseder
  • Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe (1979) Chris Grey-Wilson and Margaret Blamey
  • Marjorie Blamey's Flowers of the Countryside (1980) Marjorie Blamey
  • Bulbs. The Bulbous Plants of Europe and their allies. (1981) Chris Grey-Wilson and Brian Mathew
  • Fruits, Nuts and Berries (1984) Philip Blamey and Marjorie Blamey
  • The Illustrated Flora of Britain and Northern Europe (1989) Marjorie Blamey and Chris Grey-Wilson
  • Mediterranean Wild Flowers (1993) Marjorie Blamey and Chris Grey-Wilson
  • Marjorie Blamey's Wild Flowers by Colour (1997) Marjorie Blamey
  • Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland (2003) Marjorie Blamey, Richard Fitter and Alistair Fitter

References

  1. ^ a b Peter Marren (19 September 2019). "Marjorie Blamey obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  2. ^ Cornish Guardian May 9, 2007 Wednesday
  3. ^ a b c d e f Western Morning News (Plymouth) Tuesday February 13, 2007
  4. ^ a b c Nightingale, Tina; Pearman, David (January 2020). "Obituaries: Marjorie Netta Blamey MBE (1918 โ€“ 2019)". BSBI News (143): 59โ€“61.
  5. ^ a b c Cornish Guardian May 9, 2007 Wednesday
  6. ^ "Artist among Queen's honoured". BBC News. BBC. 30 December 2006.
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