project one – 1965

Harry Ousey was born in Manchester in 1915 and spent much of his early life away from the dirty, smoky city exploring the timeless landscapes of Cheshire and Derbyshire. In the 1930s Ousey moved to London and trained as an architect. He began to make art, visiting and painting the expansive landscapes of Cornwall, Dorset, Scotland and Provence.

In 1950 he decided to move to St. Ives with his wife Susie and mixed with many of the St. Ives School artists, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Peter Lanyon and Wilhemina Barns-Graham amongst others. Disillusioned with the art scene in the early 1970s Ousey and his wife travelled through France and finally settled in Aix-en-Provence.

Harry Ousey died in 1985.