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Hawaiian-born artist Lillie Hart Gay Torrey is best known for her large, decorative floral paintings, many of which remain in private collections throughout Hawai‘i. Her work captures the lush natural beauty of the islands with elegance and intimacy.
Lillie was the daughter of a Hawaiian mother and Judge Hart, a British-born jurist. She grew up in Honolulu with her younger sister Mae at the family estate, ‘Sans Souci,’ located in what is now the area near the Outrigger Canoe Club and the Waikīkī Natatorium.
Her first marriage was to Francis Gay of Honolulu, and together they lived at ‘Wailele,’ a gracious home in upper Kalihi Valley. They had one son, Ernest Gay. Following their separation, Lillie married New York portrait painter George Burroughs Torrey, who first visited Honolulu in 1912. The couple eventually made Hawai‘i their permanent home in 1930.
In the late 1930s, Lillie occasionally taught painting to others, including young Honolulu artist Frances Mist. Though less publicly known than some of her peers, her refined and expressive floral compositions continue to be treasured in homes across the islands.
