Billie Waters

Waters was born in Richmond, Surrey and studied art at the Heatherley School of Fine Art and then at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art.^[1] From 1926 to 1931 she lived in Newlyn, Cornwall and studied with the artists Ernest Procter and Harold Harvey at their art school for some time.^[2][3] For a period Waters worked as an apprentice to Proctor and learnt several techniques from him.^[4]

Waters first exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1928 and showed there annually throughout her working life.^[3] She also exhibited with the New English Art Club, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Society of Women Artists.^[1] Waters was an elected member of the National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Gravers.^[5] In 1933, she had her first solo exhibition at the Leicester Galleries in London.^[3][4] In 1934 Waters was commissioned to create a mural for the Knightsbridge Grille in London.^[3]

Waters lived in London but continued to visit Cornwall on a regular basis and eventually moved to Lelant in the county.^[1] Waters was a frequent visitor to both France and Italy and became interested in fresco techniques early in her artistic career. She developed a distinct style of working in oils which created the appearance of tempera works.^[6] Meeting Ben Nicholson in Cornwall led Waters to experiment with abstraction, but the majority of her works are realistic and representational.^[3]