Description

Extended Data

Birth Place

Drayton, Qld, Australia

Biography

Mona Isabella Lawton was born at Drayton, near Toowoomba, Queensland, on 18 September 1872 and educated at Toowoomba. She married Robert Anderson Elliott on 2 January 1901 and had two sons, Keith Lawton and Robert Neville. In October 1917 as a young widow, Mona took over the Stevens Photographic Studio at 466 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, to support her family. The studio continued until 1922. She also worked as a photographer when she came to live in Brisbane circa 1927. She probably learned pottery from a student of L.J. Harvey’s (qv), as her early works do not conform to Harvey’s series of exercises. She also studied art with the prominent artist Vida Lahey . Elliott exhibited mainly pottery at the Arts and Crafts Society of Queensland in the years 1927-40 but also included embroidery, watercolour and oil painting. Her pottery received brief but positive mentions in the reviews of the displays while one in 1937 described 'a tall vase decorated with koalas.’ which is most likely the vase illustrated in Fahy. She exhibited collections of pottery with the Royal Queensland Art Society (RQAS) 1930-32 and also included woodcarving and leatherwork amongst her skills. She was a dedicated worker in her promotion of art: a council member of the RQAS 1938-41 (where she also exhibited oils and watercolours 1930-48), convenor of the art coterie of the Brisbane Women’s Club 1938-39, President of the Arts and Crafts Society of Queensland 1939-41, a foundation member and first President of the Half Dozen Group of Artists in 1941 (life member from 1957) and a life member of the Toowoomba Art Society. She returned to live in Toowoomba in 1942, largely devoting herself to painting floral still lives which she exhibited with the latter two societies. She died in Toowoomba on 26 March 1964. Queensland Art Gallery: Research Curator, Queensland Heritage Writers: Cooke, Glenn R. Note: Research Curator, Queensland Heritage, Queensland Art Gallery newtog Date written: 2011 Last updated: 2021

Born

b. 18 September 1872

Summary

Although Mona Elliott developed her interest in pottery and painting late in life, she made a significant contribution to art in both Brisbane and Toowoomba, largely through her involvement in the Royal Queensland Art Society, the Brisbane Women's Club, the Arts and Crafts Society of Queensland, the Half Dozen Group of Artists and the Toowoomba Art Society.

Gender

Female

Died

26-Mar-64

Age at death

92