About Me — Skippy's Art

A little about me…

During the week I work as a Catastrophe Analyst in the City—lots of hard lines, clean edges, and controlled environments. I genuinely love it, but it’s not exactly where my brain goes to relax.

Left to my own devices, I’d be outside, covered in mud and staring at a leaf for an unreasonable amount of time.

I’ve struggled with my mental health since my teens, and over the years picked up a few less-than-helpful coping mechanisms. By my late twenties I was burnt out, anxious, and running on empty. Starting therapy in 2023 was a turning point—it helped me slow down, understand myself better, and make slightly less chaotic decisions.

Now my life has changed… I’m a mum, which is such an honour, but gosh it’s full-on! I feel my internal monologue starting to go in fast forward again. But this time something has shifted.

In the garden, I find these moments where everything just… stops. I’ll be kneeling in front of a bed, completely absorbed in the way light hits a leaf or the structure of a plant and then immediately feel the urge to run upstairs and paint it before the feeling disappears.

The garden has become my stage, and hostas (my dad’s long standing obsession) have finally won me over and become my muse.

I’m currently preparing to paint live at the Chelsea Flower Show at the Sienna Hosta stand, and I will be raising money for Thrive - a charity that uses gardening as therapy to improve mental and physical health to those who need it most.

My Art

I draw inspiration from my garden in Croydon, where shifting light, colour, and form continually shape my work. I focus exclusively on original oil paintings, valuing the depth, richness, and texture the medium offers. Each piece is created as a one-of-a-kind work, allowing collectors to experience not just the image, but the physical presence and surface of the painting itself. I currently ship within the UK through my website; however, if you are based elsewhere and interested in a piece, please feel free to get in touch.

FAQs

I primarily work in oil paint. I prepare my canvases with gesso before painting, and occasionally use Liquin to speed up drying times or walnut oil to loosen and extend the paint while working. I also varnish my finished paintings with a satin finish varnish, which helps protect the work with a UV filter while enhancing the richness of the pigments.

1 What medium do I use?

I’ve loved painting from a very young age — it’s the one thing I’ve always felt truly drawn to. Although I stopped painting completely between the ages of 18 and 23, I’ve since returned to it whenever possible. My work was exhibited as part of the 2019 and 2020 Artists’ Open House events in Crystal Palace, and later displayed at the West Norwood Picturehouse in 2023. More recently, my focus has been on family life, but I’m eager to spend more time at the easel once again.

2 When did I start painting?

How do I price my work?

I use a standardised pricing structure based on the physical size of the piece. For my original oil paintings from the studio, I use a Line Inch calculation. This means the price is determined by adding the height and the width together and multiplying it by a set rate. Currently, my canvas work is priced at £15 linear inch.

My oil sketches from the garden are usually priced at £80.