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Born Margaret Rose Mcpherson in 1875, Margaret decided early in life to become an artist. In 1888 she trained with Sydney landscape painter W Lister Lister . In 1893 she enrolled at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School where she studied for just over four years, following her time in Melbourne she registerd as student at the South Australian School of Design, Painting and Technical Arts in Adelaide in 1898. During her studies she had been influenced by the German aesthetic tradition, which emphasised the importance of rendering a subject as it would appear in nature.

Margaret first travelled to Europe in 1904, studying in Paris and Munich. With the outbreak of World War IWorld War I (also known as the First World War , the Great War the War of the Nations and the "War to End All Wars") was a world conflict occurring from 1914 to 1918. No previous conflict had mobilized so many soldiers, or involved so many in the field of Margaret travelled to EnglandEngland is the largest, the most populous, and the most densely populated of the four " Home Nations" which make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Occupying the south-eastern portion of the island of Great Britain, England, where she exhibited at the Royal AcademyThe Royal Academy is an art institution based in London, England. History It was formed to rival the Society of Artists after an unseemly leadership dispute between two leading architects, Sir William Chambers and James Paine). Paine won, but Chambers vow, the New English Art Club and the Society of Women Artists. In 1916, she enrolled at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts studying pottery, fabric printing and dyeing, basket weaving and the many techniques of printmaking. right Australia DayAustralia Day is Australia's official national day, January 26. It commemorates the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove on that day in 1788. Celebrations Australia Day is a national public holiday. For some years the holiday was held on the closest Stamp featuring the art of Margaret Preston released by Australia PostAustralia Post is the government-owned monopoly postal service of Australia. History The first postmaster of Sydney was an ex-convict, Isaac Nichols, who took the post in 1809, and postal services grew throughout the Australian colonies as they were estab in 1996 In 1919Events January January 1 Edsel Ford succeeds his father as head of the Ford Motor Company January 5 Spartacist uprising Socialist demonstrations in Berlin turn into attempted communist revolution with Spartacist League in the forefront January 9 Spartacus Margaret married the wealthy businessman William Preston, and settled in the Sydney Harbour-side suburb of MosmanMosman is a local council area and suburb in the North Shore of Sydney, Australia. Located 8km from the central business district, it is surrounded on three sides by water. It was founded in the 1830s as a whaling station by Archibald Mosman and is now a. The colourful woodcut views of Sydney harbour, vases of Australian flowers, birds and animals that she produced in the 1920s remain her best known work.

In the late 1920s her prints became stark and geometric, travel to Japan and South East Asia increased the aspects of asymmetrical design and close observation of nature in her work. Her relocation from Sydney to the small community at Berowra on the Hawkesbury River (1932-39) also had a significant impact on her later work. She became interested in Aboriginal issues and design and Chinese art. Preston believed that Aboriginal art provided the key to establishing a national art that reflected the true nature of Australia.

Preston exhibited what are considered by art historians to be her most significant works in 1953 at Macquarie Galleries in Sydney. The exhibition included 29 prints made using the ancient technique of stencilling. Many of the works exhibited incorporated her fusion of Aboriginal and Chinese concepts. In her later years she continued to paint, make prints, and travel. When she died in 1963, she had produced over 400 prints during her 60 year career.