Elaine Haxton facts for kids

Elaine Alys Haxton (born September 26, 1909 – died July 6, 1999) was a talented Australian artist. She was a painter, a printmaker (someone who makes art using printing techniques), a designer, and a commercial artist (someone who creates art for businesses, like advertisements).

Elaine Haxton's Life and Art

Early Life and Training

Elaine Haxton was born in Newmarket, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. When she was young, her family moved to Sydney. From 1924 to 1928, she studied art at the East Sydney Technical School. An art critic from the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper said her student work showed "a fine grasp of composition and colour." This means she was very good at arranging elements in her art and using colors.

After art school, Elaine first explored her interest in sculpture. She worked for a sculptor named Rayner Hoff. Later, she worked in the art department of a large store called David Jones.

Travels and New Experiences

In 1933, Elaine traveled to London. There, she studied at the Grosvenor School of Art. To pay for her studies, she worked as a commercial artist for a company called J. Walter Thompson. She also loved to travel around Europe, often by train with just a backpack. She visited countries like France, Germany, and Spain with her friend, Australian sculptor Eileen McGrath.

Towards the end of the 1930s, she visited New York. When World War II began, she returned to Australia, traveling through Mexico. In Sydney, she became friends with other famous artists like Russell Drysdale, Donald Friend, and William Dobell. A portrait of her painted by William Dobell was even a finalist for the important Archibald Prize in 1941.

Exhibitions and Awards

In 1940, Elaine was one of only five women artists to show their work at the first exhibition of the Australian Commercial and Industrial Artists Association (ACIAA) in Sydney.

In 1943, Elaine won the important Sir John Sulman Prize. She won it for a large painting called a mural. This mural was for a restaurant in Sydney called Le Coq D'Or. The mural was inspired by a ballet called Le Coq D'Or. Before this, she had already painted seven murals for another cafe.

In 1946, she won another award, the Ballarat Crouch Prize for Painting, for her painting Mother and Child. After this, she went back to New York to study at the New York School for New Design.

Designing for Ballet

Elaine Haxton was also a talented designer. In 1954, she designed costumes and scenery for the Borovansky Ballet company. They were putting on a show called Los Tres Diabolos, which was based on an opera. Elaine said she felt "a bit appalled" (nervous) about taking on such a big job, especially since she was also preparing for her own art exhibition at the time. But she enjoyed the challenge!

Her art exhibition at the Macquarie Galleries was very popular. An art critic named James Cook said she had not lost "none of her earlier adventurous spirit." Elaine continued to create large backdrops for other Borovansky Ballet shows.

Focus on Printmaking

Later in her career, Elaine became very interested in printmaking. In 1967, she trained in Paris at a famous studio called Atelier 17. She often combined her love for travel with her art. In 1972, she spent time in Bali, Sumatra, and Java. She researched and created many illustrations for a book about Indonesia.

Recognition and Legacy

In 1986, Elaine Haxton was made a Member of the Order of Australia. This is a special honor given to people who have done great things for their country. She received it for her "services to the arts, particularly printmaking."

Her painting GI Jeeps in New Guinea was part of a special exhibition in 1995 at the Australian War Memorial. The exhibition was called Through women's eyes: Australian women artists and war 1914 - 1996. A senior art critic said her large painting created "an almost surreal setting" where soldiers and their equipment looked tiny compared to the huge natural landscape.

Elaine Haxton married Brigadier Richard Cunningham Foot in 1954. They lived in Clareville, Sydney.