Eileen Soper, The Surprising Starfish and The Crab with the long tail, 1943.

Inspired By Nature: From Enid Blyton’s Nature Plates to the Badger Diaries

Discover more about how art and nature came together in the work of Eileen Soper. This informal talk will explore how observing nature through the changing seasons influenced her work. You will be able to see original work from our archives, including prints, drawings and diaries.

Eileen Soper became well known for her illustrations for Enid Blyton. In 1943 she illustrated a collection of 60 Nature Plates  that were used in schools to teach children about nature. Later in life she became obsessed by badgers and kept a series of diaries that documented their habits. She particularly enjoyed watching the cubs at play and her drawings are both realistic and affectionate.