Eleanor Joan Ellis (1904–1989) was a British artist known for her paintings and wood engravings.
Biography
Ellis was born in
Putney
Putney () is a district of southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
History
Putney is an ancient paris ...
in London and attended school in
Malvern Wells
Malvern Wells is a village and civil parish south of Great Malvern in the Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England. The parish, once known as South Malvern, was formed in 1894 from parts of the civil parishes of Hanley Castle, Welland ...
before, from 1923 to 1925, studying at Brook Green, the art school set up and run by
Leon Underwood
George Claude Leon Underwood (25 December 1890 – 9 October 1975) was a British artist, although primarily known as a sculptor, printmaker and painter, he was also an influential teacher and promotor of African art. His travels in Mexico a ...
. Throughout her career, Ellis created wood engravings and painted in both oils and watercolour. She exhibited regularly with the English Wood Engraving Society, with the
New English Art Club
The New English Art Club (NEAC) was founded in London in 1885 as an alternative venue to the Royal Academy. It continues to hold an annual exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Mall Galleries in London, exhibiting works by both members and a ...
, the
Royal Society of British Artists
The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy.
History
The RBA commenced with twenty-seven members, and took until 1876 to reach fif ...
and, in 1927, with the
Royal Hibernian Academy
The Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the RIA, the academy retained the word "Royal" after most of Ireland became in ...
. She also had solo exhibitions at both the
Redfern Gallery
The Redfern Gallery is an exhibition space in the West End of London specialising in contemporary British art. It was founded by Arthur Knyvett-Lee and Anthony Maxtone Graham in 1923 as an artists' cooperative on the top floor of Redfern Hous ...
and the Gieves Art Gallery. During the 1930s Ellis spent some time in St Ives and was elected a member of the
St Ives Society of Artists
The St Ives School refers to a group of artists living and working in the Cornish town of St Ives. Several of her woodcut designs were reproduced in '' The Studio'' magazine.