VARLEY, Eleanor Doris

1902 - 1976

Eleanor Doris Varley was born at Willesden, London on 26 October 1902, daughter of Illingworth Varley (11 April 1869-14 January 1942), an artist and from 1907 headmaster of Malvern School of Art, and his artist wife Eleanor née Pack (17 July 1870-8 April 1951), who married at Hendon, Middlesex in 1900. In 1911, 44-year-old Illingworth and 40-year-old Eleanor, were living at Knoll Lodge, Malvern Wells, Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire with their two daughters, 8-year-old Eleanor Doris and 4-year-old Mabel Illingworth. Eleanor was educated at Lawnside, Great Malvern and studied at Willesden School of Art and Regent Street Polytechnic after which she held teaching positions in East Anglia succeeding Grace Musson in 1946 as principal of Lowestoft School of Arts and Crafts living at Lowestoft for many years. In 1939, an assistant art mistress, living at 52 Acton Road, Lowestoft, the home of Grace Musson. A painter in watercolour and a draughtsman in pen and ink and a member and exhibitor at the Norfolk & Norwich Art Circle 1946-1953 also exhibiting at the Royal Academy, the Society of Women Artists and widely in Norfolk and Suffolk and was an illustrator of several books including 'Soil and Sense' and 'The Fish Gate' by Michael Graham. Eleanor Doris Varley died at Knoll Lodge, Malvern Wells, Worcestershire on 6 September 1976, she was unmarried. Her sister Mabel Illingworth Varley was also an artist and art teacher, was born on 18 January 1907 and died at Knoll House on 2 January 1992. In the centenary year of the birth of Illingworth Varley an exhibition of his, his wife's and their two daughters work, was held at Worcester City Art Gallery in October 1969.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from 52 Acton Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk
1946 856 Flooded Marshes, Beccles

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Works by This Artist