Painter, watercolourist, etcher, engraver and teacher Kenneth Holmes was born in Skipton, Yorkshire, in 1902. He studied at Leeds College of Art (1921-'23) and at the Royal College of Art (1923-'27). On leaving the RCA he studied abroad, mainly in Italy, but also France and Holland. He then held part-time teaching posts at Croydon School of Art and Borough Polytechnic, Southwark.

Holmes was appointed Principal Huddersfield Technical College from 1932 to 1934, when he became Principal of Leicester College of Art where he remained for 22 years until his retirement in 1956. He was awarded OBE, and in 1952 he co-authored with Hugh Collinson Child Art Grows Up (Studio Publications, London). On retirement he moved from Leicester to Boscastle, Cornwall and died at Camelford in 1994.

Holmes exhibited at the Royal Academy, New English Art Club, Royal Hiberian Academy and solo exhibitions in Glasgow, the Walker Art Gallery and in Leicester.His work is held in New Walk Gallery Leicester and other collections. The British Museum has three of his prints.

Source: The British Museum