Jaqueline Hammond

'I am an artist based in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, enjoying working in a variety of media and subjects. I love to paint plants, still life and landscape, especially using oils, but also enjoying watercolour and pen, and traditional pencil drawing.

Having studied fashion design in my youth, and had some fashion illustration work published in those early days, my life then took a different path, working in retail and raising a family.

During lockdown in 2020 I began walking daily on my local footpaths and I became deeply attached to my local landscape. At the same time, with the time to try new things, I began painting in oils and fell in love with the medium.

I am very inspired by the beauty of the everyday world around us, and I try to capture and express that in my art.

I am especially excited by the play of light and colour, whether it’s dappled light, shadows, reflections or interesting contrasts. I take delight in the unexpected patterns all around us.

Last year I joined Stroud Artists Cooperative which has been a great way to meet other artists. With them I have been enjoying activities such as painting en plein air regularly in various locations, which has proved to be a liberating experience. These paintings have provided a different experience to painting in the studio where one has complete control. I feel that as a result I have developed my observational skills, my use of colour and also some of the ways in which I apply paint.

Over the last year I have exhibited and sold in a variety of local gallery curated exhibitions. For the month of March this year I had my first solo exhibition, at Painswick Rococo Garden, which was a great experience.

I always have a painting or two in progress, now  that I am fortunate enough to have the time in retirement. I look forward to developing as an artist, and am very much enjoying this journey.'