Yvonne Drewry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yvonne Drewry
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| Born |
Yvonne Marjorie Drewry
February 18, 1918 Brentford, Middlesex, England
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| Died | August 9, 2007 (aged 89) Woodbridge, Suffolk, England
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| Education | Southport College of Art, Edinburgh College of Art |
| Movement | 8+1 Suffolk Group |
| Spouse(s) |
Robert Alexander Campbell
(m. 1941) |
Yvonne Drewry (born February 18, 1918 – died August 9, 2007) was an English artist and art teacher. She was well-known for her artworks created in and around the Suffolk area.
Contents
Becoming an Artist: Her Early Life and Education
Yvonne Marjorie Drewry was born in Brentford, England. Her father, Alfred Drewry, owned a shop that sold car parts. Her uncle, James Sidney Drewry, helped start a company called Shelvoke and Drewry. This company made large trucks like waste collection vehicles and fire engines.
Yvonne loved art and studied at Southport College of Art. In 1939, she won a special scholarship. This scholarship allowed her to study art at the Edinburgh College of Art. There, she learned from famous artists like William George Gillies and John Maxwell. She also learned from a book illustrator named Joan Hassall.
Her Amazing Artworks
Yvonne Drewry was a very busy artist. She created art using many different materials. These included oil paints, watercolors, and pen and ink. She was also skilled at making prints and designing text. Besides painting, she made woven textiles and other crafts.
Her art was often shown in galleries in Suffolk. She had yearly shows at the Denis Taplin Gallery in Woodbridge. Her work also appeared in local newspapers. Yvonne's art was even shown in other countries, like France and the United States.
The 8+1 Suffolk Group
Starting in 1985, Yvonne was part of a group called the 8+1 Suffolk Group. This was a team of nine artists. They worked together to plan and put on their own art shows. Their first show was in August 1985.
What She Painted
Yvonne mainly painted landscapes and seascapes. She loved to show the beauty of the Suffolk countryside. She also painted still life pictures of flowers, plants, and trees. Many of these plants grew in her own garden. Sometimes, she painted portraits of people.
Her early art looked very real, like photographs. This is called figurative art. Later, her paintings became more abstract. This means they used bright colors and big brushstrokes to show feelings or ideas, rather than exact images. She often painted places like Snape Maltings and Shingle Street. Yvonne usually painted what she saw in real life. She traveled around Suffolk and Norfolk in her camper van to find new things to paint.
Oil Paintings
Yvonne often used oil paints on wooden boards. Her oil paintings used thick paint, which is called impasto. She used very bright colors. Her early oil paintings looked realistic. But her later ones were more dramatic and showed her feelings. She usually signed these paintings with "Yvonne Drewry" and the year.
Watercolors
Her watercolor paintings were usually small. Many of them were drawings made with pen and ink. Then, she added light washes of color. She signed these with "Yvonne Drewry" and the year, using a pen.
Prints
Yvonne's first prints were woodcuts. This is a method where you carve an image into wood. Later, she mostly made linocuts. For these, she carved into linoleum. She often used many layers of color, sometimes eight or nine different ones. She usually printed on special handmade Japanese paper. Most of her prints were not signed, but some had her initials "YD" in a small design.
Books and Illustrations
In 1943, Yvonne Drewry illustrated a children's book called "World Under Water". She also created several short books that she printed herself. She used an old printing press and bound the books by hand. These books often had her own illustrations. She illustrated poems and Japanese haiku (short poems).
Other Creative Works
Yvonne also designed her own exhibition catalogs and posters. She made her own Christmas cards, which were usually colorful linocuts. She also wove cloth on a large loom. She made textile items like cushions with designs sewn onto them. She sold these smaller crafts at her yearly sales.
Sharing Her Knowledge: Yvonne as a Teacher
Yvonne Drewry was a very important art teacher. She taught at the Amberfield School and at evening classes for adults. She also held short painting and printing courses in her own home. She was active in local art groups.
Two of her most famous students were Maggi Hambling and Juliet Horncastle. Maggi Hambling has said that Yvonne Drewry was a big influence on her when she was a child.
Her Personal Life
In 1941, Yvonne married Robert Alexander (Bob) Campbell. They met at the Edinburgh College of Art. In 1942, they moved to Trimley St. Martin in Suffolk. They had four children together. Yvonne and Robert separated in 1968.
Even though she was known as Mrs. Campbell in her personal life, she always used her maiden name, Yvonne Drewry, for her art.
In 1980, Yvonne settled in Hollesley, where she lived for many years. Later in her life, she developed Alzheimer's disease. She spent her last years in a nursing home in Woodbridge. She passed away in 2007 at the age of 89.
A street in Trimley St Martin, called Drewry Way, is named after her.
Selected Exhibitions
- 1944 "Young Liverpool Artists", Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
- 1981 Gainsborough House, Sudbury
- 1984 Denis Taplin Gallery, Woodbridge
- 1985 Broughton Gallery, Lanarkshire
- 1991 Laing Art Competition, Mall Galleries
- 1994 Laing Art Competition, Mall Galleries (Highly Commended)
- 1995 Ipswich Open, Wolsey Art Gallery
- 1996 Denis Taplin Gallery, Woodbridge
