Mary Newcomb

1922-

Mary Newcomb was born in Harrow-on-the-Hill in 1922. It was not until later in life that Newcomb turned to painting She was a teacher of Natural Science until the early 1950's.

Her Naive style of drawing and painting came to the attention of Ben Nicholson, who compared her style to Alfred Wallis and the tradition inspired by british painters such as LS Lowry and Winifred Nicholson.

Newcomb has lived in Suffolk for most of her life and her paintings usually have a rural setting inspired by her East Anglian surroundings. Her Coastal and Agricultural depictions are simple yet satisfying to observe: A stiffed back lady looking at flowers, a woman and dog in a boat or even the charm of old farm machinery, the paintings tend towards optimism without seeming twee.

Her work has been widely exhibited and can be found in the collection of the Arts Council of Great Britain, amongst others. Her oil paintings are now very rare and highly sought after.

Mary's daughter Tessa Newcomb has followed her mother's passion for painting, and the influence of Mary's work can clearly be observed in Tessa's similar passion for transferring whimsical East Anglian scenes to canvas.