Doris Blair facts for kids

Doris Violet Blair (born 1915) was a British artist from the 1900s. She used many different art styles and materials. Doris is famous for her paintings that show what life was like in Northern Ireland during World War II.

About Doris Blair

Doris Blair was born in Belfast, a city in Northern Ireland. She loved art from a young age. Doris studied art at the Belfast College of Art. Later, she went to the famous Royal College of Art in London.

Art During World War II

During World War II, Doris used her artistic talents. She worked for the British government's Ministry of Information. This group shared news and information during the war.

Doris painted many important scenes. She showed places in Belfast that were damaged by bombs. She also painted pictures of British and American soldiers. These soldiers were stationed in Belfast during the war.

Doris wanted to paint women working in factories. These women helped with the war effort. She sent her idea to the War Artists' Advisory Committee. This committee chose artists to record the war. They didn't pick her idea at first. But later, they bought her paintings of women officers. These paintings were made using watercolours.

After the War

After World War II ended, Doris continued her art. In 1948, she had her own art show. It was held at the Belfast Museum and Art Gallery.

Doris then traveled to study more art. She went to New York City. There, she studied with a famous architect named Wallace Harrison. After that, she moved to Paris, France. In Paris, she learned from well-known artists like Fernand Léger and André Lhote.

By 1975, Doris Blair was living in Belgium. Her art style changed to be more abstract. This means her paintings didn't always show real things. She had another art show in Brussels, Belgium.

In the 1990s, Doris settled in London, England. She kept painting, mostly using acrylic paints. In 1982, the Ulster Museum bought many of her watercolour paintings. These were the ones she made during World War II.