John Varley

John Varley was a successful watercolour painter and author. He was born in London as the eldest of four children, who later all became artists as well. The children all came from the second marriage of his father, who moved from Yorkshire to London after the death of his first wife. Although Varley was interested in art as a child, his parents apparently did not believe that he could be successful. So they sent him to apprentice with a silversmith. Varley accepted his parents' decision as long as they lived. After their death, when he was about 15 years old, he was apprenticed for a short time to a local portrait painter. Shortly afterwards he attended Charles Barrow's evening drawing classes twice a week.