METCALFE, June Nelson
As June Nelson Paisley, she was born in Cumberland on 26 June 1926, daughter of Capt. Thomas Nelson Paisley (1894-29 September 1928), a farmer, who died of injuries received in the First World War, and his wife Kathleen Fisher, daughter of the late Joseph Fisher of Higham, Bassenthwaite Lake, who married at Setmurthy Church, Cumberland on 27 September 1921. June studied sculpture at Oxford School of Art where she met her future husband Geoffrey Fenwick Metcalfe (1915-15 June 1962) who married in 1948. They moved to Suffolk shortly afterwards where she completed her NDD in Fine Art, sculpture, at Ipswich School of Art. Sadly, her husband Geoffrey died in 1962 and June successfully raised their two sons while teaching at St Felix School, Southwold and later at Orwell Park School, Nacton, Ipswich. Her early work was painting and sculpture which included evocative paintings of scenes in and around the villages of Kirton and Falkenham, near Felixstowe, Suffolk. June retired from Orwell Park School, Nacton in 1986 and during her years with the school is remembered for her skilful and atmospheric backcloths for the school’s drama productions. A prolific artist whose output was primarily through the medium of print, etching, and she was a Member of the Ipswich Art Society and exhibited from 30 Burnt House Lane, Kirton, near Felixstowe in 1997 'African Dancers', she also exhibited at the Royal Academy and at Snape Maltings Galleries. An enthusiastic dinghy sailor, her etchings and paintings include scenes and studies of people and places on the River Deben from Waldringfield to Felixstowe Ferry and her sculptures demonstrates skills in the medium of wood, clay, and stone. Horses also provided a great fascination for her and many of her studies concern activities around the working, showing, and shoeing of these animals. June Nelson Metcalfe was of Shortacre, 30 Burnt House Lane, Kirton, near Ipswich when she died at Chilton Meadows Residential Nursing Home, Onehouse, Stowmarket, Suffolk on 4 February 2008. In 2010 a retrospective exhibition was held at The Reunion Gallery, Felixstowe.