New Zealand 1946 – 2012

Born in Nelson in 1946, Evans was educated at Nelson College for Girls.

She enrolled at the Ilam in 1965.

After Ilam she left for London and studied for a year at the Waltham School of Art, leaving the formal learning environment to travel in Europe, the Bahamas and Australia. She learnt a lot from the work of artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Chagall and Degas.

Her early work also shows the influence of Toss Woollaston, but the French artists are key for her treatment of the figure, and depiction of social interaction. Her subject matter has included flowers and gardens, interiors (especially when she was flatting at Warwick House in the mid-70s), people at the races or golf, lovers in cafes or bars, and character sketches of children, friends and family

After an initial diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in 1965, Evans was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, a condition that was to affect her for the rest of her life. She adapted her painting method and media to accommodate her condition.

She moved back to New Zealand in late 1967, living first in Christchurch before returning to Nelson in 1971.

In the 1997 New Years Honours Evans was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit  for services to painting.

Evans died at her home in Nelson in 2012.

The Suter Art Gallery in Nelson holds 11 works by Evans, the largest number by the artist in any public collection