Angela Brittain

My father encouraging me to go to art school, despite most of my friends going into more cerebral careers. I’d like to say that being a painter was my goal but in those early days it was more about being able to earn money and do something I loved, so I became a graphic designer incorporating illustration wherever I could. I worked in London at first, later becoming freelance. I started to paint in the 90s and was included in the Sunday Times “Best of British Watercolour” competition. Encouraged by this success I increased my painting output until I was able to switch to painting full time.

My work as imaginary, figurative art with a strong narrative content.

This is my sixth year as a full time painter and my paintings are now starting to gain national attention and awards and some are in private collections in England and Italy.

Winner of the “the Artist” magazine and ROI Open Oil painting competition 2010, and the bronze prize at the United Society of Painters exhibition 2013.

I have taught art part-time at Syon School, followed by part-time organizer and tutor of the HNC design courses at Northampton and Amersham College 1989-91. I continue to run one-to-one workshops at my studio in West Sussex.

I am elected member of the United Society of Artists.

I exhibit in London, mainly through open competitions such as the Society of Women Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Royal Watercolour Society and through my membership of the United Society of Artists. I also exhibit in the South of England as an elected member of the West Sussex Art Society and at Open Studios.
The Horsham Gallery had a solo exhibition of my work in 2011 and Horsham Museum and Art Gallery
in 2013.

For me, being an artist can be a rollercoaster of great happiness with periods of despair and self-doubt. As this seems to be a common trait for artists I try to mitigate these feelings by doing other things – going to an art exhibition, a bike ride or doing something that stops me being so hard on myself and keeps my endeavours in proportion.