Historical information

Edith (Alice) WATSON (1914–2010)
Murtoa | Australia

Alice Watson studied at the Ballarat Technical Art School (at the School of Mines, Ballarat) from 1930 until 1933.

Watson sat several departmental exams, including drawing and painting plant forms from nature, lettering, Composition of Form and Colour and advanced General Design, as well as dressmaking and embossed leatherwork.

General Design examinations required only designs on paper, and not the full execution of an object (which was the case for Applied Design exams).
Watson's folio applies many Australian native floral elements to design.

Upon graduating, Watson taught at the Murtoa High School, living with her parents until their deaths in 1972 and 1988 when she was 74 years old.

Alice Watson died in Ballarat, aged 95, having conserved her beautiful student folio, which was generously gifted to the Federation University permanent Historical Collection by the Watson family.

Physical description

A folio of thirty three drawings and paintings undertaken by Alice Watson at the Ballarat Technical Art School. The works include including the application of Australian flora to designs, including for pottery, leather and applique.

.2) is a design for a table runner to be executed in richelieu work

.3) frieze including fish

.4) "Design for a border to be executed in stencil". 1932

.12) "Design on the waratah for a bowl to be executed in clay". 1932

.14) "Time test"



.12) .17) .15) .18) show the combination of Australian flora with Art Nouveau-inspired designs

.9) is a design for a wallet to be executed in raffia showing elevation, side elevation and plan views

.11) is a design for a prayer book carrier to be executed in leather work

.10) is an example of pencil transfer method of design seen on .11)

.18) Design for a fan, image of birds and berries on a blue ground.

.25) landscape illustration

.27) "development" design based on a correa

.29) "Design for a tea cosy based on the Cobia-Scanden to be executed in applique. 1931 (see also .31)

.30) "Design for a writing tablet to be executed in embossed leather work and based on the native fuschia" (correa). 1931

.31) a completed doily holder: applique work

Inscriptions & markings

Most are signed A. Watson 1931

.2) Paper is embossed with stamp of 'Goodall's Bristol Boards' stamp. (Crown depicted in centre)

.20 and .22) Paper is embossed with 'Windsor & Newtons Bristol Board' stamp.(Griffin depicted in centre)