Eileen Reid (painter) facts for kids

Eileen Reid (born February 11, 1894 – died April 8, 1981) was a talented Irish artist. She was known for her beautiful paintings and her skills as a musician.

Eileen Reid's Early Life

Eileen Florence Beatrice Oulton was born in Dublin, Ireland, on February 11, 1894. She grew up in her family home on Upper Mount Street, where she lived her entire life. Her father, George Nugent Oulton, was a lawyer in Dublin.

Eileen went to the German High School in Dublin. She also studied music at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She was very good at playing the piano. In 1910, she won an award called the Coulston exhibition. The next year, she won a scholarship from the Coulston Academy. By 1914, she became a qualified music teacher.

Becoming an Artist

A family friend, the famous artist William Orpen, encouraged Eileen to start painting. She loved art and decided to study it seriously. In 1922, she went to the Royal Academy Schools in London. This was a very important art school.

In 1923, Eileen married Hugh C. Reid. He worked in Africa. Eileen planned to join him, but sadly, he passed away in 1924 before she could travel. After this, she returned to the Royal Academy and finished her art studies in 1927.

Her Artistic Career

Eileen Reid taught music to earn a living. She also played the organ at St Stephen's Church. But her passion was painting. She painted many different things, including people, beautiful landscapes, and city scenes.

She started by using oil paints. Later, she began to use watercolours, which became her main style. In 1934, she joined the Water Colour Society of Ireland. This group was for artists who used watercolours. Eileen became the secretary of the society in 1936 and held that job for many years, until 1974.

She showed her paintings at the society's exhibitions in the 1930s and 1940s. Later, she spent more time helping to organize the society's events. In 1970, she helped put together a big exhibition to celebrate the society's 100th anniversary.

Eileen Reid passed away at her home in Dublin on April 8, 1981. Many of her paintings are now part of private art collections in Ireland. In 1984, an exhibition was held to show many of her works.