Eleanor Day grew up the seventh of eight children in Philadelphia, avidly pursuing her inclination for creative artwork. She had the opportunity to attend the city's High School for the Arts on the basis of her portfolio, where she first acquired skill for oil painting and more intensive figure study. Eleanor’s education continued at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where she was awarded a full scholarship for four years on the merit of her work. She benefited from this school’s reputed classical approach to technique, as well as the encouragement of independent study and discipline.

Eleanor's later education came through her travel experiences at different intervals through northern Europe, Scandinavia, Spain, and Italy. Her own vision became clarified through viewing her favorite Old Masters, and the treasures of cathedrals, as well as her private instruction from working artists in the Netherlands and France. After living for a brief period in Westchester Co., New York, Eleanor moved to San Francisco in 1991, continuing to work and exhibit widely in the Bay Area. There, she enjoyed the rich culture of Mexican influenced murals, and the arts of Asia.

Eleanor now adds inspiration from her two years of living in County Cork, Ireland and bringing up her two little girls.