Elizabeth Deans Paterson (1894 – 5 July 1970) was an Australian commercial artist, cartoonist and illustrator. She was best known for her pictures of babies and young children, but also wrote poetry and short stories for children, sometimes as Blue Ribbon.

Life

Elizabeth Deans Paterson was born in Carlton, Victoria in 1894, daughter of Elizabeth Leslie (née Deans) and artist Hugh Paterson. Her older sister

Esther Paterson Esther Paterson Gill (5 February 1892 8 August 1971) was an Australian artist, book-illustrator and cartoonist. Early years Paterson was born in Carlton, Victoria, the second child born to Scottish emigrants Hugh and Elizabeth Leslie (''née' ...

(1892–1971) was also a commercial artist, illustrator and cartoonist. Their uncle was Scottish-born landscape painter

John Ford Paterson John Ford Paterson (1851, Dundee – 30 June 1912, Carlton, Victoria, Carlton), often referred to as Ford or J. Ford Paterson, was a Scottish-born Australian artist. He specialised in landscapes. Biography While still a teenager, he began his s ...

. Paterson sent her first drawing to '' The Bulletin'' in response to a bet by cartoonist David Low. Her drawing was published, she won the bet and began her career contributing illustrations to magazines. At the time of her first marriage in 1923 to Kenneth Fossie Newman, Paterson had already made a name for herself for her drawings and portraits of children. She was divorced by her husband in 1931 and given custody of their daughter, Barbara, who later became an artist. By the mid-1920s she and her sister Esther had established themselves as commercial artists who were "the cleverest designers in Australia" of posters, illustrated books, calendars and Christmas cards. In 1922 they held a joint exhibition in Queen's Hall, Melbourne which was opened by Prime Minister

Billy Hughes William Morris Hughes (25 September 1862 – 28 October 1952) was an Australian politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923. He led the nation during World War I, and his influence on national politics s ...

. Her drawings of young children were noted for their "fetching impertinence". Her 1931 solo exhibition was opened by the Melbourne lord mayor, Harold Gengoult Smith, while in 1935 the lady mayoress, Mrs A. G. Wales, did the honours. Her work was published in many magazines, including ''The Australian Home Beautiful'', ''

The Australian Woman's Mirror ''The Australian Woman's Mirror'' was an Australian weekly women's magazine published by '' The Bulletin'' magazine in Sydney, between 1924 and 1961. History The first issue of the magazine was published on 25 November 1924 with the following ...

'', ''The New Triad'', and ''The Bulletin''. In the 1935 ''The Australian Woman's Mirror'' awarded an original drawing by Paterson each week to the person who made the best original contribution to the magazine. Portraits of Paterson by her sister Esther were finalists for the Archibald Prize in 1938 and 1939. Paterson was made a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1966 for her service to art and the community. In 1952 she married Albion Wiltshire. Paterson died on 5 July 1970 at Middle Park in Victoria.

References

External links

Miss Betty Paterson/The yellow gloves
1938 portrait by Esther Paterson, held in the New England Regional Art Museum {{DEFAULTSORT:Paterson, Betty 1894 births 1970 deaths Australian editorial cartoonists Australian women editorial cartoonists 20th-century Australian women artists Australian children's book illustrators Australian short story writers Australian women poets Australian women illustrators Artists from Melbourne People from Carlton, Victoria Australian people of Scottish descent National Gallery of Victoria Art School alumni