British abstract painter, born in London. She studied at *St Martin's School of Art under Ruskin *Spear, 1942–6, and the Academy in Rome, 1947–8. In 1961 she won second prize for painting at the *John Moores Liverpool Exhibition and in the same year began teaching at the *Royal College of Art. She worked in a number of abstract styles, including *gestural abstraction and *Colour Field Painting.
At one time she was the lover of Alberto *Burri and like him used the materials of wood and tar. She considered herself an ‘academic abstract painter’, primarily concerned with such problems as balance and proportion—‘issues that have been important since art began’. John *McLean described her as a ‘true colourist’ who deserved to be put alongside *Matisse and *Miró. Further Reading M. McNay and J. McLean, obituaries, The Guardian (23 August 2006)
Text Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford University Press)
