Vintage oil painting of roses by Stella Carton-Kelly

Stella Carton-Kelly was a British artist closely associated with Hereford. According to the biographical label attached to the back of this  painting, she trained classically at the Norwich School of Art and at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London. It says portraiture was probably her greatest love, and that she would repeatedly rework a painting until she felt it was right.

The label also gives quite a bit of information about her involvement in the Hereford art community. It states that she served for a number of years on the committee of the Hereford Art and Craft Society and was a member of the Hereford Painting Club. For many years she held an annual exhibition with other artists at the Old Mayor's Parlour in Hereford and was a regular exhibitor during Herefordshire Art Week (h.Art).

Interestingly, the label says she was married for almost 56 years to Dr Peter Carton-Kelly, a Hereford GP, and that she died in January(1990) following a short illness.

Her pieces, particularly her botanical and floral still-life studies like this delicate composition of pink and white roses, display a distinct impressionistic style.

There is a Royal academy summer exhibition label at the back for 1994-but I couldn’t find her name in the catalogue.  only 10% of entries were hung in the gallery out if more than 13,000 entries.