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Florence Mortimer was born in Wakkerstroon, South Africa. Mortimer moved to England with her mother shortly after her birth. Mortimer started painting at the age of six, and her talent was immediately apparent. She attended Oldfield Lodge boarding School in Bath, England, where the Art Master, William Harbutt, the inventor of plasticine, noticed her artistic talent as well. He offered to let her live with them, so she could attend the prestigious, Government School of Art, in Bath, England. Here she won many accolades, for her exceptional miniature portrait paintings and overall artistic talent. After graduation, she was offered a position teaching art at a girl’s private school. Mortimer married her husband, Percy, in 1906, and they immigrated to Canada in 1910. They lived in Eastern Canada for a year, before moving out West. They followed the railway as it was being built, and Percy set up General Stores in towns along the railway line. The Mortimer’s settled for quite some time in Peace River, Alberta. In 1926, they moved to Edmonton, Alberta with their 3 children. It is here, that Mortimer started to teach again. Mortimer became a respected art teacher, a member of the Edmonton Art Club, as well as a member of the Alberta Society of Artists. Mortimer is known for her miniature works; however, she also created a few large oil paintings. In 1937, the Royal Canadian Academy exhibited one of her miniature portraits. Mortimer also won a national holiday card design contest put on by the Hudson’s Bay Company, for her painting, River Valley.
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