Deirdre Borlase facts for kids

Deirdre Borlase (1925–2018) was a British artist. She was known for her beautiful paintings and prints.

About Deirdre Borlase

Deirdre Borlase was born in Dulwich, London, in 1925. She grew up in Margate, a town by the sea. Her father was a plumber.

Her Art Education

Deirdre loved art from a young age. She studied at the Bromley School of Art from 1940 to 1944. After that, she went to the famous Royal College of Art in London for two more years.

Teaching and Painting

After finishing her studies, Deirdre became an art teacher. She taught at the Harrow School of Art and then at the Kingston School of Art until 1950.

She took a break from art for a while. But in 1967, she started painting again! She created lovely landscapes, like scenes from Venice. Later, she painted places in Carperby, North Yorkshire. Her family had a cottage there from 1981. St Luke's Hospital in Bradford even asked her to paint six pictures for them.

Exploring New Art Forms

Deirdre didn't just paint. She also learned printmaking in 1977 at Morley College. In the 1990s, she started trying out computer graphics. She even decorated furniture with her art!

Exhibitions and Shows

Deirdre's art was shown in many places. She often displayed her work at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. She also took part in many group shows with other artists.

In 1979, she had her own special show at the David Thompson Gallery. From 1989, she regularly showed her art at the Broughton House Gallery in Cambridge. Later, she often displayed new work at the Zillah Bell Gallery in Thirsk.

Family Life

While studying at the Royal College of Art, Deirdre met another artist, Frederick Brill. They later got married. Frederick Brill became the head of the Chelsea Art School.

Deirdre and Frederick had their art shown together in an exhibition in 1986. Their work was also part of an exhibition called Relative Values in 1993. This show was at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Stirling.

Deirdre Borlase passed away in 2018. Some months after she died, her paintings were featured in an exhibition. It was called The Secret to a Good Life and opened at the Royal Academy. One of her three children, the artist Bob and Roberta Smith, helped organize this exhibition.