Dora Billington. Vase painted for Bernard Moore, c1910. Height 45.7cm, diameter 20.3cm. Fig. 2. ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London Royal College of Art At this stage in her life, she regarded pottery as with little artistic potential, and ‘just trade’, her ambition was to be a by which she meant a painter or sculptor. In 1912, she ‘real artist’, entered the RCA on a scholarship and was directed into the school of design, where W.R.Lethaby, noting that she had come from the Potteries, encouraged her to enter Richard pottery class. Her instructors were Lethaby, the embroiderer Grace Christie, the Lunn’s calligrapher Edward Johnston and Lunn. Grace Christie practiced the kind of freehand embroidery that William Morris had advocated. Her practical guide, which included a picture of Samplers and Stitches, Billington’s (Fig. remained in print until the nineteen eighties and is still read embroidery, ‘The Park’ 3), by enthusiasts. Billington described it as 'a book that contains all that was best in the old work, adapted to modern uses', a statement that may be said to summarise her own cautious encouragement of innovation. Billington was a skilled amateur embroiderer and occasionally wrote on textile art. Dora an embroidery made in Grace at the Royal Fig. 3. Billington, ‘The Park’, Christie’s class College of Art, c.1914. Billington kept it and left it to Gilbert Harding Green but its present whereabouts are unknown. teaching of calligraphy influenced arts other than writing and studies Johnston’s Billington’s with him informed her approach to ceramic decoration. The importance of free brush work was a theme to which she often returned: in the 1920s she offered decorating hints on 'the use of a long, soft, flexible brush in painting ornament swiftly and directly'; in the 1930s she praised the pottery painting of Alfred Powell, Louise Powell, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant and saw in Bernard work the as could be found on the old Leach’s same ‘magic calligraphy’ pottery of the Far East; and in the 1950s she encouraged the kind of calligraphic ‘spirited to be found on and brushwork’ T’ang Sung pots’.
Fig. 2. Dora Billington. Vase painted for Bernard Moore, c1910. Height 45.7cm, diameter 20.3cm. ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London Royal College of Art At this stage in her life, she regarded pottery as ‘just trade’, with little artistic potential, and her ambition was to be a ‘real artist’, by which she meant a painter or sculptor. In 1912, she entered the RCA on a scholarship and was directed into the school of design, where W.R.Lethaby, noting that she had come from the Potteries, encouraged her to enter Richard Lunn’s pottery class. Her instructors were Lethaby, the embroiderer Grace Christie, the calligrapher Edward Johnston and Lunn. Grace Christie practiced the kind of freehand embroidery that William Morris had advocated. Her practical guide, Samplers and Stitches, which included a picture of Billington’s embroidery, ‘The Park’ (Fig. 3), remained in print until the nineteen eighties and is still read by enthusiasts. Billington described it as 'a book that contains all that was best in the old work, adapted to modern uses', a statement that may be said to summarise her own cautious encouragement of innovation. Billington was a skilled amateur embroiderer and occasionally wrote on textile art. Fig. 3. Dora Billington, ‘The Park’, an embroidery made in Grace Christie’s class at the Royal College of Art, c.1914. Billington kept it and left it to Gilbert Harding Green but its present whereabouts are unknown. Johnston’s teaching of calligraphy influenced arts other than writing and Billington’s studies with him informed her approach to ceramic decoration. The importance of free brush work was a theme to which she often returned: in the 1920s she offered decorating hints on 'the use of a long, soft, flexible brush in painting ornament swiftly and directly'; in the 1930s she praised the pottery painting of Alfred Powell, Louise Powell, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant and saw in Bernard Leach’s work the same ‘magic calligraphy’ as could be found on the old pottery of the Far East; and in the 1950s she encouraged the kind of ‘spirited calligraphic brushwork’ to be found on T’ang and Sung pots’.