GOTTO, Felix Corry

1913 - 1994

Felix Corry Gotto was born at Brierfield, Randalstown, Antrim, Northern Ireland on 13 March 1913, son of Belfast born James Porter Corry Gotto, (born 7 June 1879), a linen manufacturer at Randalstown, who married at Wyclif Hall, Cobbold Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk on 7 June 1905, 22 year old Mary Sophia Edwards, daughter of Evan Edwards (1853-1921), gentleman and former farmer of Hoe Cliff, Felixstowe, and his wife Eliza Catherine née Hilder (1854-1938), who married at Guildford, Surrey in 1877. In 1914, James and Mary with their children, were living at Randalstown, Northern Ireland. Felix, like his brothers Christopher Corry (born 12 December 1911) and Arthur Brian (born 26 April 1916), was educated at Elm Park Preparatory School, near Killylea, Co. Armagh and from 1926, as a boarder, at Dauntsey's Public School at West Lavington, Wiltshire, before studying at the Slade School of Fine Art 1931-1933 under Randolph Schwabe (1885-1948). Felix became a textile designer, travelling extensively during his years within the industry, and in 1935 designed the 'Mandalay' pattern now in the Victoria and Albert Museum collection along with other of his fabric designs which he designed for the Old Bleach Linen Co. Ltd., of Randalstown. He lived for most of his life in Northern Ireland and in 1932, a member of the Strangford Lough Sailing Club at White Rock, Killinchy with his Snipe Class yacht 'Wavelength' and he became a well-known yachtsman in Northern Island and in 1946 his yacht 'Ludana' was berthed in Chichester Harbour. He married in the Deben district of Suffolk in 1937, Mary Elizabeth Richardson (30 June 1913-27 January 2002) and they had at least two children including a daughter Joyce. About 1976, Felix and his wife returned to Suffolk, living at The Forge, Woolverstone, on the River Orwell near Ipswich. Felix was also an artist, painting around Ipswich and further afield in Suffolk and his paintings reflect a level of influence from Randolph Schwabe’s oils of 'Workers in the Fields' found in Dr Gill Clarke’s book 'Randolph Schwabe, A Life in Art' (2013). His works include 'Greyfriars Ipswich', 'Dolly Houses Heatherhayes Ipswich', 'The Green Hut Holbrook', 'Ipswich Docks', 'The Orwell Haven Levington', 'Orwell Bridge', 'Cattawade', 'And A Broken Rose', 'The Back Way into my Garden', 'Wherstead Church', and 'The Mill Pond Holbrook'. Felix Corry Gotto died at Woolverstone on 8 May 1994 and buried in St Michael's Churchyard, Woolverstone and his wife, who died in 2002, was buried beside him.

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Works by This Artist