Hazel Spencer

Selected Biography

1945
Born on July 30th in Surbiton Surrey, England to David and Mary Spencer. Third of five children: Simon, Carol, Hazel, Matthew and Jane Spencer.

1949
Family move to 14, Warwick Road, Ealing, London W5. Parents, David and Mary were still members of the British Communist Party, having joined while students at Cambridge University with their friends Freddie and Mouse Vickers. Their daughter Salley Vickers is now an acclaimed author.

1954
On holiday in Lymington aged nine, she discovers her love of horses and starts learning to ride in the in the New Forest.

1956
Becomes a border with her brother Matthew, at St. Christopher School, Letchworth, Herts. Rides weekly at Hitchin Riding School. Parents leave the Communist Party.

1962
Joined the Ealing Branch of the C.N.D Went on the Aldermaston March with sister Carol and boyfriend Pete Ludbrook. Student at Chelsea Art School. Taught by Elizabeth Frink and John Hoyland among others.

1963
Student on the Intermediate N.D.D Course at Twickenham College of Art.

1964
Left home to attend the Dip.A.D Graphic Design Course at Stoke- On-Trent College of Art. Meets Karl Handley at Burslem College of Art and starts a relationship.

1965
Successfully transferred to the Dip.A.D Fine Art Course at Liverpool College of Art.

1967
Graduated with a Hons. Degree in Painting 2.2 Art History 2.1 and a subsidiary craft of Weaving.

1968
Qualified as an A.T.D art teacher at Liverpool College of Art and taught art full and part time at Arundel Comprehensive School in Liverpool 8.

1971
Ended relationship with Karl. Moved to Lincolnshire to start teaching art full- time at The Robert Pattinson Comprehensive School. Lived in Newark, Notts.

1972
Bought a horse and kept it at Lodges Farm, where she met David Pye, the son of farmers Don and Win Pye. Married David who was a farmworker, on November 4th in Newark. Lived together in several farm cottages.

1973
Left The Robert Pattinson School in December.

1974
Daniel David Pye born in Lincoln on March 16th. Moved to live at Lodges Farm in a static caravan. Don gave us a foal which we named Dylan.

1975
Suzanna Hazel Pye born in Lincoln on September 23rd.

1977
Family moved to first home at 3, Marton Road, Sturton-by- Stow, Lincolnshire. Practised art again, including weaving and lino printing. Attended evening life drawing and painting classes at Lincoln College of Art.

1981
Family moved to Oulton Broad, Lowestoft. In January started teaching art full- time at Kirkley High School. Lived in a flat above Oulton Broad Library.

1982
Family moved to 5, Station Cottages, Somerleyton, Suffolk.

1983
Father dies in March. Commited to work as a painter, using married name Hazel Pye.

1986
Left Kirkley High School and started Supply Teaching in Suffolk and Norfolk.

1988
First Major One – Person Show at the Contact Gallery in Norwich, ‘Spirit of Sexuality’, sponsored by ICI Dulux. A video was made by the late Mike Toll, and a show featured in the T.V Arts programme ‘Wideangle’ in November. Jeff Rous photographed the paintings and the artist at work. Liz Rous and mother are also very supportive.

1989
Became a member of the Norwich 20 Group. Exhibited at the ‘Womens Art’ Show , with artists including Elizabeth Kozmian- Ledward, Mouse Katz ,Helen Ganly and Pascale Petite.

1990
Exhibitions included a one-person show at Lowestoft College of Art, and group shows ‘Erotic Art’ and ‘Art of Birth’. Divorced David in December.

1991
Met Pat Brown and started a relationship, while he was the landlord of the ‘Green Man’ pub in Tunstall, Suffolk.

1993
Major one-person show at Aberdeen Art Centre, assisted by Pat Brown and daughter Suzi. Changed married name Hazel Pye back to Hazel Spencer. Son Daniel Pye also changed his name to Daniel Spencer.

1996
Private Art Tutor. Also continues to run a boarding house with lodgers and starts a Bed and Breakfast business ‘Dove Wood Cottage’.

2000
Designs and has built an art studio in the garden at Somerleyton.

2003
Joins ‘The National Council for the divorced and separated’, the NCDS club in Lowestoft. Enjoys dancing, meeting new people and starts dating again.

2005
After living 23years at Somerleyton, moves with daughter Suzi to 14, Ivy Lane, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk.

2009
Returns to hand-knitting as a therapy. Many lengths are used later to create the constructed textile art of the ‘Four Seasons’ series.

2013
Mother dies in July.

2014
First artist website is launched and goes live in the spring.

2015
Michaela Hobbs of ‘Ferini Media’ photographs all the artworks to be included in the creation of the artists website. Brother Simon and friend Emma Clemens die in June.

2016
Two-Person ‘Textile Art’ show with daughter Suzi Pye, held at the Ferini Gallery,Pakefield, Lowestoft in September. Sister Jane and brother Matthew visit to view the exhibition. At the Southwold Literary Festival meet the author Salley Vickers. Friends Marianne Long and Sam Perks die in December.

2017
Start to develop an interest in digital photography, inspired by shadows on the landscape and in the garden, and also the textures created by flowers, plants and other surfaces. The images are put together to create multiple viewpoint photographic collages.

2018
With the help of ‘Team Social’ in Oulton Broad, start to create a new redesigned website.

2019
Continue work on redesigned website and photographing current work.
Website launched.

2020
Continued art practice and photographed work at Ferini Media.
Changed website management to Graphic Solutions.
Start of Covid Pandemic Lockdowns

2023
Exhibit abstract compositions at the Undercroft Gallery in Norwich.