Alice Des Clayes

1890-1968

Alice Des Clayes was born in Aberdeen Scotland. She was the yougest sister of painters Berthe Des Clayes and Gertrude Des Clayes. She studied in Bushey, England at the Bushey School of Art under Lucy Kemp-Welch and Rowland Wheelwright and at the Newlynd School of Art in Newlynd, England. In France she studied under artist Dudley Hardy.

She came to Canada in 1914 and settled in Montreal. Very early, she started exhibting her work at the Royal Canadian Academy Annual Shows and at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Spring Exhibitions and did so most years until 1940. In 1920 she was elected an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy.

During her career, she illustrated at least one book and also exhibited at the Watson Art Galleries. Her subjects varied from animals to rural and city genre scenes. She worked with a variety of media as watercolour, oils and pastels. She returned to England in 1938 and died at the age of 78.

Collections :

- National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
- Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, ON)
- McCord Museum (Montreal, QC)

Affiliations :

- Associé de L'Académie Royale des Arts du Canada (1920)
- Canadian Society of Painter in Water Colour (1926)