Ellen Welby’s first career was as a governess but in the early 1870s she joined the Art Pottery Studio in Kensington as an artist. The Studio had been established by the firm of Minton in 1871 and employed both professional and amateur artists to design and decorate ceramics. Welby was involved in the decoration of blanks, many of which were then sold by Howell, James & Co., a retailer based on Regent’s Street. Howell & James made a point of employing female artists, especially women from the Art Pottery Studio. When the Kensington premises was closed following a fire in 1875, Welby continued to paint from her home and for a brief period she went into partnership with fellow artist, Charlotte Spiers. Welby was also an illustrator, embroiderer and a designer of Christmas cards. Her works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1878. The latter included two Minton plaques of identical design to the works now in the Royal Collection, which are characteristic of Welby's output, featuring female figures inspired by the Pre-Raphaelite movement.