1970’s Silvia Clarke Signed Painting, Floral Still Life Framed Chrysanthemums

Beautiful acrylic still life painting in deep rich colours of chrysanthemums in a vase. Signed by artist Silvia Clarke. The painting is in excellent condition. It is framed in a wood frame that suits the art. The frame shows some age appropriate wear. Wire on the back for easy hanging. Painting on canvas board is 9”x12” Frame is 16” wide x 14” high Artist Bio: Silvia Clarke was born in Cavendish, Suffolk, England in 1911 and educated at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts (now known as Camberwell College of Arts) in London, England. During World War II, Clarke was employed by the BBC, and was also a champion in the sport of table tennis. In addition, she admitted to doing classified work for the British government (MI5) at the now-famous Bletchley Park, where British codebreakers worked in secret during World War II. Coming to Canada in 1947, Clarke lived in various places in Ontario (Toronto, Muskoka, and Port Stanley) before making London, Ontario her permanent home in 1954. In London, Clarke would hold a federal government position and would also work for the Faculty of Medicine at Western University. She attended night classes in art at H.B. Beal Secondary School, receiving instruction from London artists such as Jack Chambers, Clare Bice, Irene Taylor, and Herb Ariss. Clarke was a part of the Western Art League and the Gallery Painting Group. In the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Clarke was among those working towards building a new art gallery in London, a goal