As a teenager, Isabel McWhannel developed a strong passion for drawing and painting. She was enrolled at the Sydney Art School, where her talent quickly became evident under the guidance of Julian Ashton and Sydney Long. Isabel maintained a particularly close relationship with Sid Long throughout her career. She began exhibiting her work in 1902. While her art shows a clear influence of Long’s decorative romanticism, it remains distinctively personal, reflecting her own unique vision.
Isabel is perhaps less widely recognized due to the relatively small number of her paintings—fewer than a dozen produced between 1902 and 1914. She was part of the pioneering group of women artists that emerged in the early 20th century, alongside figures such as Ethel Stephens, Maud Russell, Amy Vale, Florence Rodway, Gladys Owen, and Thea Proctor. Among her peers, Isabel was admired not only for her artistic dedication but also for her charming personality.
Her health deteriorated significantly from 1914, and she spent her final years at the Pines Private Hospital in Randwick. Isabel passed away on June 27, 1919, at the age of 36.
It is estimated that only a few dozen of her paintings were sold during her lifetime. The remaining works, numbering between 70 and 80, were found in her brothers’ family home in Rose Bay, Sydney, when the house was vacated in 2006.
Isabel's artwork is represented in several prominent collections, including the Australian National Gallery, Geelong Art Gallery, Cruther’s Collection at the University of Western Australia, and the Howard Hinton Art Collection in Armidale.