Yeo, Aurelie Jean (nee Shearer)
Aurelie Jean Yeo (nee Shearer) was born in Nedlands, Perth in 1934 to an artist mother Muriel Shearer (nee Aitken) and a physicist father. In a 50-year career she has produced more than 1500 works and has held more than 20 solo exhibitions. She initially studied physiotherapy and practiced for three years before studying art at Claremont Technical College becoming a full-time artist in 1956. She has a Diploma in Fine Art (Painting) and has travelled extensively including six trips to Ayres Rock and one to Antarctica. A significant proportion of her work has always been portraiture in all media. This interest was initially encouraged by the eminent tutelage of Owen Garde and Henry Froudist. She was overall winner of the 2013 Annual Watercolour Society of Western Australia Exhibition and has been represented in more than 100 invitation exhibitions. Her work is held in many private collections, including the Fairview Art Collection in Subiaco, Perth.
O’Neill, May (nee Courtney)
May O’Neill (nee Courtney) was born at Salford in Manchester in the United Kingdom on the 20th of July 1931. Her mother left when May was eight years old and she was brought up by her father John Joseph Courtney, who could speak five languages fluently and worked for the British and Continental Steamship Company. She grew up in Old Trafford playing in the bomb craters of WWII, left school at 14 years old to work in administration, married in 1952 and then emigrated to Australia in 1963 with her husband Roland and two children. Her artistic journey started in 1973 after being badly injured in a car accident that left her bedridden for eight weeks. To alleviate boredom, she took up painting after being unable to continue with her sporting interests. Largely self-taught and mainly working in watercolours, she has been influenced by Hungarian watercolourist Zoltan Szabo. She has won the Whitford Art Group watercolour award three times and has been recognised for her work by the City of Wanneroo, City of Mandurah and the Rockingham Arts Council. She was a Foundation member and Past President of the Whitford Art Group, and Foundation member of the Wanneroo Art Society, Watercolour Society of Western Australia and the Carnarvon Art Society and past member of the Perth Art Society. She has exhibited widely and her work is held in many private collections, including three watercolours in the Fairview Art Collection in Subiaco, Perth.