ABOUT MARY OWEN
Mary Cheney was born on June 19th, 1938, in Stratford Upon Avon, and grew up in Shropshire. In 1949, at the age of eleven, Mary commenced her studies at the Ludlow Girls High School. She started painting and drawing in her teens and passed O and A level Art exams.After completing her A Levels in 1956, Mary sought advice as to her future career path. The only career advice available to her was dispensed by the Headmistress who recommended the usual selection of limited options for young ladies at that time – training for a career as a teacher, nurse or secretary.
The Headmistress of Ludlow Girls High School had a very good working relationship with Matlock College of Education, a teacher training institution, and recommended that Mary continue her studies there. Mary suspected that her father had encouraged the Headmistress to “send her away to Matlock” to keep her as far away from boyfriend Tom as possible!
In the autumn of 1956 Mary began her studies, on a full grant, at Matlock Training College, which was then part of the Nottingham Institute of Education.
Mary graduated from Matlock Training College in 1958. She qualified as a professional teacher, with a distinction in painting. Her first commission was purchased by her art teacher!
The photograph on the left shows Mary (left) with her friend Thalia at Trafalgar Square in 1960
Mary's first teaching post was at an infant and junior school in the village of Woodcote in Oxfordshire. While working she continued painting, exhibiting in the Reading Guild of Artists Exhibition. At this time, she also began life drawing.
In 1959 Mary and her friend Shelagh left for London. Mary was interviewed at County Hall and subsequently placed in St William Burroughs School in Limehouse. While teaching in London she joined a pottery class at the Central School of Arts and Crafts.
In 1965 Mary moved to Wiltshire where the duties of looking after a husband and young family made painting impossible.
In 1970 Mary joined a sculpture class in Corsham where she experimented in carving alabaster and stone and building up figures in plaster on armatures. At this time she took several commissions for her abstract figures.
Family commitments took over again until 1990 when a sculpture life class was started in Bath which provided a great inspiration for her work.Mary has exhibited her work in a variety of galleries and exhibitions, including the Bath Society of Art Exhibition (1991 to 1997) and the Rooksmoor Gallery in Bath.
