EILEEN'S DIARIES

Thirty years after her death, the little-known yet fascinating Hertfordshire wildlife diaries of Enid Blyton illustrator Eileen Soper are being collated into a book

- Mike Clark

Eileen Soper is best known for her instantly recognisable illustrations of Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five children’s books, but she was also an exceptionally gifted wildlife artist and illustrator, admired for her prolific book commissions, paintings, and etchings. She was also a founder member, with Robert Gillmor, of the Society of Wildlife Artists and featured annually in its exhibitions in The Mall Gallery, London.

Eileen was born in 1905, the second daughter of successful illustrator George Soper who moved out of London to bring up his family at Harmer Green near Welwyn in Hertfordshire. George bought a plot of land and had a house built to his own design with a print room, pottery kiln and studios that became known as Wildings. The family loved the country setting and liked to paint, draw and model the wildlife attracted to what became a garden nature reserve around them.

Both Eileen and her sister Eva were taught at home and became highly accomplished artists. Eileen took to applying her drawing skills to the etching press and became one of the youngest artist, at 16, to have work accepted for the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition. Eva concentrated on portraits and home-fired ceramics which included harvest mice and cuckoos in beautiful china models.