Flora first attended Wimbledon School of Art where she specialised in illustration and went on to study sculpture at East London Polytechnic. Her career began working as a storyboard artist for “Scala Films” and on adverts for independent companies. She has also illustrated for numerous magazines over the years.
In 2011 she illustrated a children’s book ’That Dog’ which was written by Nanette Newman and published by Brubaker Ford and Friends, an imprint of Templar publishing. Flora has undertaken private commissions and exhibited her paintings in a number of London art galleries and fairs.
The way I like to work is to meet my subject, be they a person or animal and have a session with them where I can sketch and take photographs. Then I will either do a pencil or an oil sketch which I can then work from.
In some cases I will paint from life, but with animals and children it tends to be easier to keep the sittings down to a minimum. I will sometimes just use a photograph, but only in certain circumstances. I try to encourage the sitter to wear the clothes that they feel comfortable in. They chose their own pose and an environment that is unique to them.
I think a painting should feel relaxed without stiffness or formality and should try to capture the essence of that person and their personality as well as a likeness. It’s great if I can find out a bit about them so as to try to catch the feeling of that individual and show them in a real light.
She lives in Wiltshire with her husband Charlie and four children and favourite models, Freddie, Lydia, Dulcie and Mabel.
Above courtesy of Country Living & The Telegraph.