{{Short description|New Zealand sculptor and ceramist (1903–1981)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Lorna Ellis''' née Trengrove (1903 – July 1981) was a New Zealand sculptor and ceramist. Her works are held in the collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa|url=https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/agent/694|access-date=2021-05-31|website=collections.tepapa.govt.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=1981-07-30|title=Exhibition of artist's work|work=Evening Post (Wellington, N.Z.)|url=https://collections.library.auckland.ac.nz/inzart/item/412822}}</ref>

== Education == Ellis attended the Wellington Art School for three years, at that time attached to the Technical College.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Harris|first=Margaret|date=1971|title=Sculptors in clay - firing to Cone 10|url=https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/media/uploads/2018_08/NZPotter_v13_n1.pdf|journal=New Zealand Potter|volume=13|issue=1|pages=38–43}}</ref>

== Art career == Ellis was one of the first women in New Zealand to become a full-time commercial artist, and she drew mostly newspaper advertisements and illustrations for the Goldberg Advertising Agency until 1928 when she married. Her family commitments allowed little time for art until after the end of World War II.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=1981-07-31|title=Memorial exhibition|work=Dominion post (Wellington, N.Z.)|url=https://collections.library.auckland.ac.nz/inzart/item/412823}}</ref> Ellis was encouraged to return to art by the Thursday Group, of which she was one of the eight foundation members in 1952. This group met on Thursday evenings for many years to draw from life.<ref name=":2" />

Ellis was an artist member of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts from 1927, and in recognition of her service was elected a life member in 1975.<ref name=":2" /> From 1965 to 1974, working alongside presidents including J. O. Mercer and Reginald James Waghorn, she served as a councilor for the Academy.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last1=Kay|first1=Robin|url=https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/media/uploads/2017_12/PortraitOfACentury.pdf|title=Portrait of a Century: The History of the N.Z. Academy of Fine Arts 1882-1982|last2=Eden|first2=Tony|publisher=Millwood Press|year=1983|isbn=0908582609|location=Wellington|pages=}}</ref> She was one of the longest serving members.<ref name=":2" />

Ellis taught weekly art classes at the Arohata Woman's Borstal Institution, where she worked as a counsellor for 18 years.<ref name=":2" /> During her later years, Ellis was a member of "Group Seven", a group of artists who met at the Hutt Art Society rooms. Other members included June Tilley and Muriel Hopper.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1981-06-24|title=More work by mural artist|work=Evening Post (Wellington, N.Z.)|url=https://collections.library.auckland.ac.nz/inzart/item/412819}}</ref> Ellis was a contemporary of artist Juliet Peter, and attended Saturday afternoon drawing sessions at Helen Barc's apartment, alongside George Woods, E. Mervyn Taylor and Douglas McDiarmid.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Art New Zealand|url=https://www.art-newzealand.com/Issue119/peter.htm|access-date=2021-05-31|website=www.art-newzealand.com}}</ref> Ellis also worked alongside potter Roy Cowan.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2015-02-24|title=A blend of the natural and industrial|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/job-market/11283989/A-blend-of-the-natural-and-industrial|access-date=2021-05-31|website=Stuff|language=en}}</ref>

=== Sculpture work === After reading about cold-cast bronze sculpture in a book but being unable to find a tutor in this technique within New Zealand, Ellis went to England in 1958 to learn from sculptors there. She mastered the technique and brought it back to New Zealand.<ref name=":2" /> Ellis was primarily a sculptor, but also worked with ceramics from the early 1970s onwards, after being introduced to potter Lee Thompson's kiln. Ellis worked with Thompson's kiln alongside potter Muriel Moody.<ref name=":1" />

Bronze busts of Rita Angus and E. Mervyn Taylor are held at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.<ref name=":0" /> A bust of notable teacher Mary Mackenzie (MBE) is held at the Victoria University of Wellington library.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Hughes|first1=Beryl|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aTp21_wDlXQC&dq=%22Lorna+Ellis%22+sculptor&pg=PA65|title=Redbrick and Bluestockings: Women at Victoria, 1899-1993|last2=Ahern|first2=Sheila|date=1992|publisher=Victoria University Press|isbn=978-0-86473-244-6|pages=65|language=en}}</ref> Ellis was commissioned to produce a sculpture of Peter Field, Frances Hodgkins's nephew and guardian of the Field Painting Collection.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2000-02-18|title=Artistic boost from festival|work=Evening post (Wellington, N.Z.)|url=https://collections.library.auckland.ac.nz/inzart/item/517914}}</ref>

=== Notable exhibitions ===

* Sculpture exhibition featuring 50 sculptured heads and ceramic pieces at the Dowse Art Museum, 1976.<ref>{{Cite book|last=McCredie|first=Athol|url=https://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10179/250/02whole.pdf|title=Going Public: New Zealand Art Museums in the 1970s|publisher=A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Museum Studies at Massey University|year=1999|pages=285}}</ref> * 1981 Caltex Art Award for Representational Painting, Sculpture and Drawing Exhibition.<ref name=":3" /> * Memorial exhibition, July 1981.<ref name=":2" />

== Family life == Ellis married Howard Ellis in 1928 at Saint Paul's Wellington.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1928-11-22|title=Blossoms & Bride|work=NZ Truth|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTR19281122.2.98?items_per_page=10&query=%22lorna+trengrove%22&snippet=true&sort_by=byDA.rev}}</ref> Ellis' grandson, designer Adam Ellis, credits her with inspiring his creative journey, and has fond memories of sculpting with her in her home studio.<ref name=":4" /> Her son, Anthony Arthur Travers Ellis, worked as a High Court judge, chairman of the Parole Board, and president of the Electoral Commission.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Humane judge loved to tinker|url=https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-dominion-post/20070809/281981783193377 |publisher=Dominion-Post |date=9 August 2007|access-date=2021-05-31|via=PressReader}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Lorna}} Category:1903 births Category:1981 deaths Category:20th-century New Zealand sculptors Category:20th-century New Zealand women artists Category:New Zealand ceramicists