Eleanor, known as “Ellie”, Shorthouse, who goes to Taunton School, has been creating art since lockdown, after discovering her passion for painting and drawing.
Ellie said: “I love painting and drawing and anything that involves creativity, and have done so since I was very young.
“I first started in lockdown, when, as an only child, I had to find something to do while my parents worked. So, I started watching how-to drawing videos. I thoroughly enjoyed it and started using more difficult videos. It wasn’t long before I started painting.”
She added: “It was a really exciting thing that, suddenly, I was quite good at.”
When she was eight, Ellie held her first exhibition in her garden which set her on the path towards her desired career as an artist.
She said: “It was only for friends and family, but it was a huge step for me, and I spent weeks preparing.
“Soon after, I moved to Taunton School, where my teachers gave me lots of opportunities and helped me further hone my skills. A friend of my parents who is an artist, Keith Crocker, was a real inspiration to me and gave me the courage to be freer with the paintbrush.”
She said: “Some of my artwork was exhibited for Somerset Arts Week this autumn, and I have worked on many more pieces for this exhibition.
“Lots of people ask me what my favourite thing to paint is. I love landscapes because you never have to be completely exact with them. The earth is unpredictable and imperfect, but beautiful, that’s what I try to capture in my paintings.”
When asked how she feels about the exhibition, Ellie said the exhibition is “life-changing” and that it “will probably change how [she feels] about art.”
She said: “I think it’s gone really well. I have had loads of comments and people saying my work is really amazing, and it’s just really incredible to have so many people talking to me about it.
“Everyone has been really kind to me about my art.”
Ellie also listed some of her inspirations, including Monet, Keith Crocker, who helped her fine-tune her own unique brush-stroke style and her teacher/scholarship mentor, Poppy Phillips.
She added: “This morning, I was thinking I have come a long way since my first exhibition in the garden. I feel really lucky.”
Her mother, Ann Shorthouse said: “It’s just wonderful to see all her hours’ worth of work recognised, but what is really heart-warming is hearing her speak about those people who influenced her and inspired her.
“We just want to find the right balance of inspiring and motivating her and ensuring she is still humble about it all, which I think she is, and making sure she has all the opportunities, which she has because the school is phenomenal.”
She added: “I think it’s really lovely that the library offered the space as a community venue for aspiring young artists to use.”
The exhibition started on Monday, December 22, 2025, and will run until January 4, 2026.
