Born in Streatham, trained at South Kensington. For many years he spent the summers in Braemar, painting scenes of the Upper Dee valley, being often guided to the most picturesque spots by the Head Keeper of Mar Estate whom he befriended. These works capture the changing colours and moods of this part of the Highlands in watercolour more accurately than any other artist. Queen Victoria thought highly of him, writing in her diary of June 1895 that she ‘saw some beautiful sketches by an artist by the name of Ottewell, who had spent several months in Braemar painting, having been snowed up for some weeks in the winter, at the Linn of Dee’. He subsequently painted a number of watercolours for the Queen, and for the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of York. Like Everett Green before him, he taught Princess Beatrice. Elected Hon RI 1895; founder member Old English Watercolour Society. Committee member of Braemar Golf Club 1911-1912. Exhibited RA (4), RI (21), RBA (1), RHA (1) and GI (1), from 11 Mansell Road, Wimbledon. His watercolour of ‘Danzig Shiel’ 1896, a cottage on Balmoral Estate, is in the Royal Collection.

This unusually large watercolour is signed and dated 1910.