Esther Grainger facts for kids

Esther Margaret Grainger (1912–1990) was a talented artist and teacher from Wales. She was known for her paintings, drawings, and even beautiful embroidery. Esther taught art for many years while also creating her own artworks.

About Esther Grainger

Esther Grainger was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1912. She loved art from a young age.

Her Art Education

Esther studied at the Cardiff School of Art. She was a student there from 1928 to 1934. While she was still studying, she started helping others. She gave craft lessons to women in the local mining communities.

Teaching Career

After her studies, Esther became a tutor. From 1934 to 1946, she worked for the National Council for Social Services. She organized painting classes and art shows. These events took place at the Pontypridd Settlement in south Wales.

While working there, Esther met another artist named Cedric Morris. In 1942, she spent some time at his art school. It was called the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing.

Esther had many teaching jobs after that.

• From 1946 to 1950, she taught at Caerphilly Girls Grammar School.
• Then, she taught for the Cardiff Education Authority until 1960.
• Finally, from 1960 to 1975, she taught at Cardiff College of Education.

Her Artworks and Exhibitions

Even though she was busy teaching, Esther was always an active artist. She regularly showed her art in different places across Wales. Her works included paintings and drawings of the Welsh landscape. She also created art using embroidery and calligraphy. Calligraphy is the art of beautiful handwriting.

Esther helped organize the art exhibition at the 1950 National Eisteddfod of Wales. The Eisteddfod is a big Welsh festival of music, literature, and performance. She also showed her own art at the annual Eisteddfod throughout the 1950s.

Her artworks were part of several touring exhibitions. These shows were put together by the Arts Council of Wales. Esther was also a member of two art groups: the South Wales Group and the Watercolour Society of Wales. She often showed her work with these groups.

Esther had many solo art shows too.

• In 1954, she had an exhibition at the Newport Museum and Art Gallery.
• In 1968, she showed her work at the Canaletto Gallery.
• A special show looking back at her art was held in 1973. This was at The Minories in Colchester.
• In 1975, her art was shown at the National Library of Wales.
• The Oriel Gallery in Cardiff featured her work in 1976.
• Her last show was at Manor House Fine Arts in Cardiff in 1990.

You can still see examples of Esther Grainger's art today. They are held by the Arts Council of Wales, the National Museum Cardiff, and the University of South Wales.