I am a painter/printmaker inspired by wild flowers and weeds.

Find out about my work, visit my next exhibition or buy an original print from the gallery
Wildflower Wednesday, The Story Behind The Flower, Japanese Anemones

One Of My Favourite Late-Summer Flowers.

Despite Their Name, Japanese Anemones Aren’t Actually From Japan. The Plants We Grow In Our Gardens Originated In China And Were Later Introduced To Japan, Where They Became Popular.

They Arrived In Europe In The 19th Century And Have Been Garden Favourites Ever Since.

I Love Them For That Slightly Unruly Quality — Tall Stems, Simple Flowers And Those Beautiful Papery Petals That Seem To Float Above The Garden.

They’re Also Wonderfully Useful For Pollinators, Flowering When Many Earlier Summer Flowers Are Beginning To Fade And Providing Nectar For Bees And Other Insects.

And Then There Are The Seed Heads. Once The Petals Disappear, The Centres Become These Lovely Fluffy Little Structures, Catching The Light And Moving In The Breeze.

Another Example Of A Plant That Somehow Becomes Just As Interesting When The Flower Is Finished.

#JapaneseAnemone #LateFlowers #BritishGarden #WildflowerWednesday #BotanicalArt
A little trip back in time…

I made this painting a couple of years ago, and I found the original video of it coming together.

It’s always lovely to look back at the making of a piece, especially when it has just found a new home.

This one has now SOLD, which makes me particularly happy. I’ve always loved the story behind it and the memories held within the flowers.

I thought I’d share the making of it again, because sometimes the journey behind a painting is almost as special as the finished piece.

Thank you, as always, for following along with my work.

#originalart #contemporaryartist #paintingprocess #britishartist #soldart
Frequently asked question: Are your prints originals?

The short answer is yes — but perhaps not in the way you might think.

My collagraphs are original, hand-printed artworks. I make the printing plate myself, using a combination of materials and textures, and each print is then individually printed and hand-coloured in my studio.

So although a print may be part of an edition, it isn’t a mass-produced reproduction of an original painting.

In fact, with my variable editions, each print can be slightly different. The colours, textures and hand-painted details can vary, making every one an individual artwork.

This is the bit I particularly love — the printmaking gives me the structure, but the hand-colouring brings each piece to life.

So yes, it is a print… but it is also an original piece of artwork, made by hand from start to finish.

And that’s probably one of the things I get asked about most!

#collagraph #originalprint #printmaking #handcoloured #botanicalart
Wildflower Wednesday, why is heleniums nickname sneezeweed?

The name comes from the traditional use of their dried leaves in making snuff — not because the flowers themselves cause hay fever.

The flowers are particularly valuable to pollinators, with their open centres providing easy access to nectar and pollen.

I love the way the petals seem to droop away from the raised centre. There is something wonderfully expressive about them, especially as the flowers begin to age and change colour.

They’re also fantastic late-season flowers for the garden, bringing a final burst of warm colour when so many other plants are beginning to fade.

Another one I’d happily spend far too long drawing.

#helenium #sneezeweed #lateflowers #wildflowerwednesday #botanicalart
A little studio confession… i’m floundering a bit at the moment.

I have spent much of the last month doing something i don’t usually give myself enough time to do — experimenting with painting, and, more specifically, trying to get to grips with oil paint.

it is a different medium for me and, so far, I wouldn’t exactly say we’re getting along beautifully.
I am used to working with printmaking processes where i know what will happen (well… most of the time!) oils are a whole different language, the paint moves differently, dries differently, mixes differently and generally seems to have a mind of its own.
There have been lots of “ooh, that’s interesting” moments… followed fairly quickly by “oh no, what have I done?” (See final pic, I got mad with it) moments.
But i’m enjoying the uncertainty.

I am trying to paint more loosely, use the paint thinly, stop overworking everything and, most importantly, learn by actually doing rather than worrying about getting it right.

So this is very much a work in progress stage, there are some paintings i like, quite a few i don’t, and a lot that are currently sitting somewhere in between.

But perhaps that’s exactly where I need to be 
#oilpainting #oilpaintingprocess #artiststudio #workinprogress creativeprocess
Endless Summer

A rather appropriate title for a print that has just sold, after the long, hot summer we’ve had this year.

This is one of my nasturtium collagraph prints, and I love the exuberance of nasturtiums — those wonderfully unruly leaves and bright flowers tumbling over everything in their path.

I’m always particularly pleased when one of my prints sells, but this one has created a wonderful reason to have break from the struggle of learning a new medium and get back to the press and make some more of the edition.

Always nice to make a new batch, maybe I will play with the colours and collage bit more with this one 

#nasturtium #endlesssummer #collagraph #printmaking #botanicalart
Wildflower Wednesday

Did you know? Dahlia Edition

Dahlias are full of surprises.

🌸 They’re edible!
The petals can be sprinkled over salads and cakes, and the tubers were originally grown as a food crop in Mexico.

🐝 Single dahlias are best for bees.
Their open centres provide easy access to pollen and nectar, while many of the highly double varieties are beautiful but much harder for pollinators to use.

🌿 They belong to the daisy family.
Like daisies and sunflowers, what looks like one flower is actually made up of hundreds of tiny individual flowers.

🌈 There are over 50,000 registered varieties.
From tiny pompons to dinner-plate blooms, they come in almost every colour except true blue.

🌞 The more you pick, the more they flower.
Regular cutting encourages the plant to keep producing new blooms right through to the first frost.

🇲🇽 They’re native to Mexico.
Dahlias are the national flower of Mexico and have been cultivated there for centuries.

🦋 Butterflies love them too.
Single-flowered varieties are a magnet for bees, butterflies and hoverflies throughout late summer.

Do you have a favourite variety? As you can see the spiky ones are my favourite to draw though the Pom Pom’s last ages in a vase and the colours! 

#Dahlias #BotanicalArt #Flowers #GardenInspiration #OriginalArt
#Did you know?

Every flower has its own story. Sunflowers just happen to tell theirs by following the light.
They really do follow the sun... but only when they’re young.
As the flower buds develop, they turn from east to west during the day, tracking the sun across the sky. Overnight, they slowly turn back to face east, ready for sunrise the next morning.

Once the flower opens fully, it usually stops moving and remains facing east. Scientists believe this helps the flower warm up more quickly in the morning, making it more attractive to bees and other pollinators.

I love that even a flower as familiar as a sunflower still has surprises to share. Their cheerful faces, towering stems and remarkable behaviour make them one of the joys of late summer.

Do you know any interesting facts about sunflowers?

#Collagraph #BotanicalArt #Sunflowers #wildflowerwednesday
@royalsocbritishartists
If you follow me you will know all about my thistle obsession.

At first glance they can seem prickly and unapproachable, but look a little closer and there is so much beauty in them. Those vivid flowers emerging from all those protective spines, growing in places where many other plants struggle.

That’s what inspired me to call this print Resilience.

I think there is something rather wonderful about the way thistles just get on with it. They survive, adapt and keep growing, and somehow manage to be beautiful while doing so.

Like all my collagraphs, each print is individually inked, printed by hand and then carefully hand-coloured. So although it is part of an edition, every one is slightly different and completely unique.

Resilience
Original hand-coloured collagraph
Image size: 50 x 50 cm
£450

Now available on my website.

I’ve always loved the wildflowers that aren’t necessarily the most delicate or obvious. Do you have a favourite wildflower?

#Collagraph #OriginalPrint #ThistleArt #Printmaking
Wildflower Wednesday- Did you know? 
Echinacea 
🌿 The name Echinacea comes from the Greek word echinos, meaning hedgehog, because of its spiky central cone.
🐝 Bees can see ultraviolet patterns on the petals that guide them towards the pollen.
🦋 Echinacea is one of the best late-summer plants for pollinators when many other flowers are fading.
🐦 Goldfinches often cling to the seed heads in autumn, feeding on the ripened seeds.
🌱 Although native to North America, echinacea has become a favourite in British gardens because it flowers for such a long season and is excellent for wildlife.
@royalsocbritishartists 
#Collagraph #BotanicalArt #BritishWildflowers #Echinacea #OriginalPrint
Rise

I’ve always been fascinated by thistles, spiky,architectural beauties.

They aren’t delicate flowers in the traditional sense. They’re strong, protective and wonderfully resilient, yet when they bloom they reveal an extraordinary beauty.

This piece is called Rise because it reminds me that growth often comes quietly. We all face setbacks, difficult seasons and unexpected challenges, but like the thistle, we keep going always looking for the light and easier times.

Nature has a remarkable way of reminding us that strength and beauty can exist side by side.

This original collagraph has been individually inked and printed by hand from my original collagraph plate before being carefully hand coloured. As part of a variable edition of 30, every print has its own unique character.

#vickyoldfieldartist #collagraph #originalprint #botanicalart #thistle
Did you know?

Poppies are often the first flowers to appear after the ground has been disturbed.

Their tiny seeds can lie dormant in the soil for decades, waiting for the right conditions. When the earth is turned over by ploughing, construction work or even natural events, the seeds are brought to the surface where light helps trigger germination.

Within weeks, a seemingly barren patch of ground can become a vibrant display of scarlet blooms.

It’s one of the reasons I find poppies so inspiring. They remind us that beauty can emerge in the most unexpected places and that nature has an extraordinary ability to renew itself.

Have you ever come across poppies growing where you least expect to find them?

#Collagraph #BotanicalArt #BritishWildflowers #Poppies #OriginalPrint
Wild and Wonderful

I just love seeing poppies growing wild in unexpected places, they appear wherever the soil has been disturbed, along field margins, roadside verges, building sites and freshly turned earth, bringing an unexpected burst of colour to the landscape.

I love that sense of freedom.

To me, poppies are a reminder of nature’s remarkable ability to reclaim a place with beauty. Their delicate petals may only last a short while, but while they’re in flower they transform the landscape and are impossible to ignore.

I have made many artworks of poppies in this one I wanted to capture the movement, colour and exuberance of one of Britain’s best-loved wildflowers.

Each collagraph is individually inked, printed by hand from the original plate and carefully hand coloured, so every impression has its own unique character.

I’ve just added Wild and Wonderful to my website, where you can see more photographs and read about the inspiration behind the piece.

#Collagraph #OriginalPrint #BotanicalArt #BritishWildflowers #Poppies
I’ve always loved the contradiction of thistles.

Armed with fierce, protective spines, they reveal one of our most beautiful native flowers. They ask us to look beyond first impressions and discover the unexpected beauty hidden within.

For this picture, I wanted the print to feel less confined, so I cut the collagraph plate to follow the shape of the thistle itself. Rather than keeping everything within a neat square, the spiky leaves reach beyond the edge of the plate, giving the print a sense of movement and allowing the composition to breathe.

It’s a small detail, but one that reflects the way nature refuses to be contained.

Like all of my collagraph prints, each impression is individually inked, hand printed from the original plate and carefully hand coloured, making every print unique.

✨ I’m delighted to say that Sharp Beauty has now been added to my website, where you can see more images and details of the print.

🔗 Link in my bio.

Sharp Beauty – Original hand-coloured collagraph print.

#vickyoldfieldartist #sharpbeauty #collagraph #handprinted #handcoloured
July was less about finishing and more about noticing and gathering inspiration.
I have wandered beautiful gardens, visited exhibitions, spent hours starting a number of new paintings and playing with new ideas.
#artistjourney #julyinpictures #surreyartist #studiolife #collagraph
A day in the sunshine, filling my phone and mind with inspiration, flowers, seed heads, colours and unexpected details.
It’s amazing how a few hours n a garden  feels like a reset, excited to get back in the studio.
Which flower should I paint next? Any requests? I am thinking something on a large scale, I have a metre square canvas waiting ……..
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@loseley_park 
#loseleypark 
#fillingmycreativetank
#shape
#texture
A few of the beautiful prints created over the weekend @ochreprint, such a fabulous printmaking studio with wonderful facilities in Guildford.

It’s always such a joy seeing everyone’s work together at the end of a course. Although everyone learns the same process, no two prints are ever alike—that’s one of the things I love most about teaching collagraph printmaking.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along and made it such an enjoyable weekend.
Things people don’t realise about printmaking...

People often assume that every print in an edition is identical. Mine rarely are.

I print in very small batches, usually just a few at a time, because I’m constantly experimenting. I might add a different layer, introduce a new texture, or hand colour one in a completely different way. Number 3 in an edition can end up looking quite different from number 4.

It does make life rather complicated! Every variation has to be photographed, documented and catalogued separately. Keeping track of them all for my website and the galleries can be quite a challenge.

But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

For me, that’s the joy of printmaking. It stays alive. It keeps evolving. And it means that, even within an edition, the piece you choose is genuinely your own. No one else will have exactly the same print hanging on their wall.

Would you rather own an identical edition print, or one that’s evolved into something completely unique? I’d love to know.

#PrintmakingProcess #Collagraph #OriginalPrints #HandColouredPrint #BritishPrintmaker
I’m back at @ochreprint in Guildford teaching a weekend of mixed media collagraph printmaking.

As I was getting everything ready today, I found myself flicking through my book Mixed Media Collagraph Prints. It brought back so many memories of writing it and of my time as Artist in Residence at Ochre in 2019. It’s a studio that has played such an important part in my journey as an artist, so it’s always a pleasure to return.

If you’ve been thinking about coming, there’s still one space left on this weekend’s course. I’d love to welcome one more person into the studio.

And if you can’t make it this time, I hope my book might inspire you to have a go at home.

#printmaking #collagraph #ochreprintstudio #guildford #mixedmediaprintmaking
If you’re in Guildford over the next few weeks, do pop into @artandgrindfor a coffee and a browse.

I’ve got a lovely selection of work on the walls along with browser pieces if you’re looking for something a little smaller. There are also plenty of cards, perfect for keeping on hand or sending to someone special.

I always enjoy seeing my work in this relaxed setting—art and coffee are such a good combination!

If you do visit, I’d love to know which piece catches your eye. Let me know in the comments, or tag me if you take a photo while you’re there.

#GuildfordArt #SupportIndependentArtists #OriginalPrints #ArtAndGrind #BritishPrintmaker
Every artist has their treasures...

High above the chaos of my studio is a shelf filled with things that have travelled through life with me. To anyone else it might just look like a collection of old pots, pebbles, fossils and dried seedheads, but every one has a story.

There’s a beautiful ceramic pebble, a gift from the lovely @carolyngendersceramics after we exhibited together. My rather unsuccessful attempts at making tower sculptures have found a second life as little vases, now filled with dried seedheads gathered on walks. There are fossils picked up over the years, and old pots that have somehow survived the years.

The old swan ink pot was given to me by my very first boyfriend. I often wonder what became of him. His name was Andy Hallett, and he was studying sculpture at Cardiff Art College when I was there for my foundation year. If, by some extraordinary chance, you’re on Instagram and happen to see this... hello! 👋

I think that’s why I love working surrounded by these objects. They’re far more than things. They’re reminders of people, places, moments and memories. They quietly sit above the creative mess, watching over whatever I’m making next.

I’d love to know... do you have a shelf, drawer or corner of your home that’s filled with objects that tell the story of your life?

#StudioTreasures #ArtistsStudio #CreativeLife #CollectedMemories #BritishArtist
There are paintings everywhere... on easels, balanced on shelves, leaning against walls, and even a few on the floor. My studio is definitely not at its tidiest at the moment, but I always think a little creative chaos is a sign that something interesting might be happening!

I’m in that wonderful (and slightly frustrating) stage of trying lots of different ideas all at once. Some are working, some definitely aren’t, and a few are surprising me in ways I wasn’t expecting. It’s all part of the process of finding my way towards a new body of paintings.

These are very much works in progress, so you’re getting a little peek behind the scenes before anything is finished. There’s something quite exciting about not knowing exactly where a painting is going to end up.

With a bit of luck, some of these experiments will grow into the collection I’ll be showing in my exhibition this November. Fingers crossed!

Do you enjoy seeing artists’ studios looking beautifully organised... or do you secretly prefer seeing the creative mess? I’d love to know which camp you’re in!

#ArtistStudio #WorkInProgress #BehindTheScenes #ContemporaryPainting #StudioLife
The odd little rules I have for myself as an artist... 

When I’m avoiding starting something difficult, I have a habit of suddenly noticing that the studio really needs fresh flowers.

So off I go into the garden with my secateurs.

A few stems and a bit of weeding later, I’m back in the studio arranging them, moving them around, finding the perfect pot or bottle and generally doing anything except the thing I was supposed to be doing.

The funny thing is that this particular form of procrastination is usually forgiven, because somewhere amongst the flower arranging, ideas begin to emerge. A colour combination catches my eye, a seedhead casts an interesting shadow or a flower suddenly demands to be drawn.

I’ve learnt that sometimes procrastination is simply part of the creative process... although I do still have to make myself sit down and start eventually!

Am I the only one who finds all sorts of wonderfully creative ways to avoid getting on with the job in hand?

#artistlife #creativeprocess #procrastination #studiolife  #behindthescenes
Things I do as an artist that might surprise you...

I collect seedheads. Rather a lot of seedheads.

At this time of year you’ll often find me pottering around the garden with a pair of secateurs, rescuing anything with an interesting shape before it collapses into a soggy heap. My studio shelves are full of dried stems, seedheads and flowers waiting for their chance to appear in a print or drawing.

One of my all-time favourites is giant hogweed. I know it’s a controversial choice, but from an artist’s point of view it is utterly magnificent – huge, dramatic and wonderfully architectural. I’ve drawn it many times over the years, this beauty came as a gift from @anthonypaulgardendesign 

The irony is that somehow a seed must have hitched a lift home because I now have a giant hogweed plant growing in my own garden. As thrilled as I was to spot it (artist brain immediately thinking ooh, what a fabulous thing to draw!), common sense has had to prevail. I need to  cut it down before the seeds spread and my small garden is full of these magnificent plants.

Please tell me I’m not the only person who gets ridiculously attached to plants they really shouldn’t keep!

#vickyoldfield #seedheads #gianthogweed #botanicalart #printmaker
One of the loveliest parts of being an artist is hearing that a piece has safely arrived in its new home.

This message arrived from Germany this week after I sent a print which is going to be given as a surprise present:

“The picture arrived today. It is so beautiful! I’m certain she will love it, Thank you so much for carefully wrapping the parcel and, of course, for your words and the cards”

It is always rather wonderful to think that something created here in my studio will soon become part of someone else’s story, and I’m so grateful when collectors take the time to let me know that a piece has arrived safely.

Sending artwork overseas can sometimes feel a little daunting, but messages like this make it all worthwhile.

I do hope she loves her surprise.

#vickyoldfield #originalart #artcollector #printmaker #collagraph
A little reveal of two new prints that I’ve just added to the website.

To be Treasured and Take a Moment are both long, slim pieces (30 x 12 cm, £165 each) – perfect for those awkward narrow spaces that every house seems to have.

One of these features agapanthus and, after my last post, I realised quite how many times I have drawn them over the years. Mine are only just starting to flower in the garden and every year I find myself reaching for the sketchbook again. I think it’s the fabulous architectural quality of the plant that keeps drawing me back – those tightly packed buds slowly opening into such generous blooms.

I suspect there will be many more agapanthus pictures to come!

Both prints are now available on my website – link in bio.

Do you have a plant in your garden that you never tire of?

#vickyoldfield #agapanthus #englishgarden #collagraph #printmaking botanicalart originalprint floralartist artistsoninstagram gardeninspiration
I’ve always loved agapanthus. There is something so satisfying about drawing them – from those tightly furled buds to the exuberant flowers and finally the beautiful sculptural seed heads.

Many years ago I created a series of triptychs following flowers from bud to bloom, or bud to seed. This agapanthus piece was among my favourites and the edition sold out long ago.

It suddenly occurred to me... does anyone here own one? I’d love to see where they ended up, so if you do, please share a photo in the comments or send me a message!

Even now I keep returning to agapanthus as a subject. They have such a wonderful architectural quality and I never seem to tire of drawing them.

The large agapanthus blue giant is still available on my website, 76.5 x 57.5 cms, £750.00

Do you have a favourite flower that you never tire of seeing in the garden?

#Agapanthus #BotanicalArt #Printmaker #FloralArt #BritishArtist
“Thank you for visiting my page. Everything you see here is created by hand in my Surrey studio. Whether you’re looking for an original artwork, a unique limited edition print, a personal commission or a printmaking workshop, I’d love to welcome you into my creative world. You can explore available work via the link in my profile.”
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@royalsocbritishartists 
@westdeancollege 
@north_yorks_art_school 
@theartagency.uk 
@mallgalleries 
#surreyartist 
#artforsale
#artistdemonstration 
#printmakingcourses
Hello, I’m Vicky, an artist and printmaker based in Surrey and a member of the Royal Society of British Artists.

For many years I have been creating artwork inspired by British wild flowers, weeds and the quiet beauty found in everyday objects – old bottles, books, favourite vessels and flowers gathered from gardens, hedgerows and roadsides.

I work primarily in collagraph, a wonderfully tactile printmaking process that allows me to build richly textured images layer by layer.

My work has been exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and Mall Galleries, and can be found in collections both in the UK and overseas.

Thank you for visiting my page. I hope my work encourages you to pause, look closely and perhaps notice the beauty in the overlooked.

I’d love to know where in the world you are following from.

#vickyoldfield #printmaker #collagraph #britishartist #wildflowerart
Well, what started as one commission-inspired thistle has turned into four!

I simply couldn’t decide which design I liked best, so I kept developing the idea until I had four new thistle pieces. They’ll all be added to the website this week, with the final design currently being transformed into a cut-out piece that I’m painting up now.

It’s funny how often creativity has its own plans. Sometimes the hardest part isn’t making the work – it’s deciding which version to stop at!

@royalsocbritishartists 
#ThistleArt #NewArtwork #BotanicalArtist #collagraph #HandmadeArt
The Story Behind the New Thistle Series

The thistle is a subject I find myself returning to time and time again. No matter how many I create, each one seems to have its own personality and character.

Recently, a customer who purchased one of my thistle pieces asked if I could create another to face towards the one they already owned. It sounded simple enough... until I started sketching!

Instead of creating just one companion piece, I found myself exploring different ideas and compositions. Before I knew it, I had the beginnings of an entirely new series.

Do you have a favourite flower or plant that never loses its appeal? I’d love to know what keeps drawing you back.

#ScottishThistle #BotanicalArt #NatureInspiredArt #OriginalArtwork #ArtistStory
There’s always a bit of excitement when printing from a brand new plate for the first time.

This reel shows the first pull from a new plate. No matter how carefully I’ve planned it, you never quite know how it’s going to print until that moment when the paper is lifted and the image is revealed.

It’s one of my favourite parts of the process – a mix of anticipation, relief and excitement when everything comes together.

Do you enjoy seeing the making process as much as the finished artwork? 

Let me know in the comments 😊 

Apologies for the poor editing, learning the tools to make a decent reel is certainly a work in progress! Think I am better sticking to my day job

#PrintmakingProcess #StudioLife #BehindTheScenesArt #HandmadeArtwork #ArtistAtWork
My favourite pieces @saatchi_gallery new exhibition, it’s an interesting show
@emiliepugh @michaelrothenstein @tomhammick1
I’ve just returned from Italy, and one of the things that brought me the greatest pleasure was seeing flowers growing out of ancient stone walls. Tiny bursts of life emerging from cracks and crevices, softening the hard edges of weathered rock.

I’ve always had a bit of an obsession with daisies, so finding these beauties growing at Loseley House brought back that same feeling of joy. There is something magical about their cheerful resilience.

I’m equally drawn to dark, damp walls draped with ferns and mosses. Perhaps it’s the contrast I love most – the meeting of solid stone and delicate foliage, strength and softness side by side.

As yet, I haven’t quite translated this fascination into a picture, but I can feel ideas quietly brewing. Sometimes inspiration needs time to put down its own roots before it finds its way onto the canvas.

Do you find yourself drawn to unexpected combinations in nature too?

#artistinspiration #natureinspiredart #daisies #loseleyhouse #floralartist 
@loseley_park
A big thank you to @wills_art_warehouse for featuring my artwork in their recent newsletter.
I have been with this gallery for many years and I am so appreciative of all that my galleries do for me and for being such an important part of my creative path.
Selling is not my strong point and their support enables me to do what I do best 🥰
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@royalsocbritishartists 
#printmaking 
#artgallery 
#collagraph
#surreyartist 
#collagraph
Artwork Throwback 

Sharing a little studio work while I’m away — layers of collage, texture, print and paint all battling it out for attention, exactly as they should.
Loving using flocked wallpapers on my plate, they hold the ink really well.
This one inspired by the wonderful shapes of @roya_p.gil ceramic vessels

#printmaking #collagraph #printmakingprocess #thamesdittonlife #surreyartist
Sketchbook & travels

Still a few bluebells hanging on and giving that beautiful haze of blue that’s so hard to capture

Holiday mode apparently still involves carrying three sketchbooks, a supply of very messy art materials, (not Instagram list worthy) and always a flask of tea.

#artistlife #sketchbook #dailydrawing #holidaysketching #cyclingnovice
Monday was a framing and planning day: collecting a finished piece from the framers ready for delivery, and beginning to gather ideas for a very special commissioned wedding anniversary artwork. It’s going to include lots of personal collage elements that hold meaning for the family, which is always my favourite kind of project to work on.

Tuesday involves a drive to Hertfordshire to deliver the framed piece to its new home — always exciting (and slightly nerve-wracking) handing over finished work.

Wednesday will be spent drawing up designs for the new commission… followed by a slightly sneaky evening ceramics class where we’ll be printing with flowers onto clay 🌸 with @nicholarodgers.artist 

Thursday is all about research and gathering together collage materials, textures and fragments for the commissioned piece, as well as delivering an artwork to be donated to a charity auction raising funds for prostate cancer.

Friday was spent editioning, I tend to make 4 of an edition and as they sell 4 more until the plate collapses or I sell out! 

And somehow, squeezed into all of that, will be the glamorous side of artistic life: endless admin, photographing artwork in impossible lighting, resizing images for the 47th time, emailing galleries, updating websites, posting on Instagram, forgetting passwords, finding passwords, and wondering how “quick computer jobs” can mysteriously take three hours… 😅

Never quite the same week twice… and I wouldn’t have it any other way ❤️
Last weekend was spent teaching a mixed media collagraph course at West Dean College — and what a fabulous group of students. Mixed abilities, lots of experimentation, and everyone completely embraced the process. The variety of work produced was incredible, and we had such good fun along the way.
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@westdeancollege 
#collagraph #printmaking #vickyoldfield #artistdemonstration #printmakingworkshop

The next course I am teaching is the first weekend of August @ochreprint, a fabulous print studio inGuildford, then in August I am teaching 17th-21st August @north_yorks_art_school then one last one west Dean in September and that’s my lot for teaching this year!
Feeling incredibly lucky to have such amazing galleries supporting my work over so many years. Just sold “The Last Echinacea” and “Spring Tonic” at The Moreton Gallery in the Cotswolds 

A big shoutout to all the galleries who champion artists—promoting our work, connecting us with collectors, and making it possible for us to keep creating. Your support truly keeps the artists in the studio where we want to be! 

#ArtistLife #ArtCollectors #GallerySupport #ContemporaryArt #CreativeJourney
A much needed change next weekend as I am off to West Dean to teach, time to engage with people rather than my usual solitary existence as an artist.  Quite the adventure!
Lots of planning and prep to do over the next few days, teaching is always so much more than the hours spent with students.
If you’ve been thinking about joining, there are still 2 places left. Take a look at the West Dean College website for more info

#WestDean #WestDeanShortCourse #ShortCourse #Printmaking #Printmaker
@westdeancollege
Excited to share that I’ve got new work showing with The Art Agency gallery at the Hampstead Affordable Art Fair 6th - 10th May

I’ve got a limited number of free tickets available — if you’d like one, just DM me and sign up to my newsletter and I’ll send it over.

#AffordableArtFair #HampsteadArt #ContemporaryArt #ArtCollectors #LondonArt
Still smiling after receiving this message 

“Truly one of the best instructional books I’ve ever read on any topic…” — wow.

Hearing that Mixed Media Collagraph Prints is not only helpful but genuinely inspiring means everything to me. Creating this book was a real labour of love, and knowing it’s sparking new ideas and techniques out in the world is exactly why I do what I do 

And a little behind-the-scenes milestone… I’ve finally received a royalty payment for the book — which means the advance has officially been earned out, Yayyyyy!  A big moment, and one that wouldn’t be possible without readers like this.

A huge thank you to Zach in Los Angeles for taking the time to share such kind words — messages like this (and your support) truly keep it all going.

If you’ve been exploring collagraph or thinking about diving in, I hope this book finds its way to you too.

#collagraph #printmaking #mixedmediaart #printmakingbook #collagraphbook 
@westdeancollege 
@ochreprint 
@thecrowoodpress
Playtime! Love my Wednesday afternoon ceramics class with @marybransonart playing here with a form of raku adding horse hair and sugar to a hot piece to create patterns, so much fun!
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#gettingaddictedtoceramics
#artistsatplay
#surreyartist
It’s been hard to find a home for these drawings (they are very large!) so I am so pleased that the wonderful @hannahpescharsculpt garden has installed them in a new exhibition space.  These pieces were made a few years ago, drawn directly from the plants as they grew here—observed, studied, and put onto paper.

Nice to see them come back to where they started, holding their place among the living versions once again.

#HannahPeshwarSculptureGarden #GiantHogweed #DrawingFromNature #InstallationArt ContemporaryDrawing
Last chance this weekend! 

Flora and Form closes Sunday, and it’s been such a brilliant exhibition with strong sales throughout — thank you again for all the support.
I’ve rehung the gallery, so there’s some new pieces up on the walls, and these pieces are perfect to use in a home setting, bringing some flowers from outside to inside — whether it’s a statement piece or something smaller to lift a space.

Find @roya_p.gil and myself at The Fountain Gallery, Bridge Road, Hampton Court — surrounded by cafés, great shops, and easy free parking.

Open daily 11–5 — come in and say hello before it ends!

#LastChance #ArtExhibition #BuyOriginalArt #HomeInteriors #BridgeRoadLife

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