All past students of Yarra Valley Grammar become life members of the past students association, Yarra Old Grammarians (YOG).
Eleanor Louise Butt
1999
Artist
“I felt especially supported and welcomed by the Art Department at Yarra”
Yarra Valley Grammar has been a family affair for Eleanor’s family. Her dad was a foundation student of the school, along with her uncles. Her aunt was at Yarra and by the time Eleanor joined in Year 9, her mum was a teacher in the Junior School. Her brother was two years older and in the Senior School.
“We’ve had a lot to do with Yarra from the very beginning and we all had great times and felt supported there,” says Eleanor.
When she arrived in 1996, Eleanor was one of only 13 girls in her cohort, but lasting friendships were made quickly and they have stood the test of time.
“I made friends with Cameron Boyle during my first days at Yarra and I’m godmother to one of his beautiful children, and remain close friends with numerous other past students.”
Art featured heavily in Eleanor’s life at Yarra. She spent time in the darkroom pursuing her love of photography and she also explored painting, graphic design, and industrial design.
“I was always hanging out in the Art room; we listened to music and explored ways to express ourselves and our ideas.”
Alongside an interest in literature, Eleanor maintained her artistic studies during VCE and also completed an advanced certificate of art/design with Swinburne University that saw her build a portfolio of work while she was at Yarra.
“We did life-drawing classes weekly, and spent hours after school and in free periods working on our portfolio and completing units. I pursued Art straight out of the gate after school and spent a year studying painting at RMIT before going to the Victorian College of the Arts.”
Today, Eleanor is an established artist represented by Melbourne gallery, Nicholas Thompson Gallery, where she is currently showing an exhibition of new paintings and bronze sculptures, until July 6. She paints from 9am to 5pm in her studio – for longer if ‘something magical is happening’.
“Painting is like surfing. If you’re riding some good waves, you stick with it,” she says “When I start working, ideas generate more ideas. Some days offer more challenges than others, but you have to have those difficult days to clear the way for the good work to follow.”
Her work is collected by public institutions and private individuals in Australian and overseas. Her paintings have recently been acquired by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) Sydney, Artbank, and the Gippsland Art Gallery. Recently Eleanor also won a major painting prize in regional NSW, the Muswellbrook Art Prize.
“It’s a beautiful life – every day can be full of wonder and experience and I work with amazing people who are passionate about the arts. It’s a soulfully satisfying journey.”
