Five Women Artists

About

Olivia Chalmers

“I went to Harrow Art School where I studied fine arts. Many years later I discovered botanical art at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew and took several courses in water colour painting of flowers and plants which I found was something I loved.”

Brenda Elvin

"Brenda Elvin is primarily a printmaking artist who takes inspiration from the creatures around her. She works with monotypes, etchings and mixed media to create bold and colourful artworks of the ‘critters’ she sees everyday such as garden birds and foxes together with some more exotic ones."

Penny Duszynski

“After a professional career in education, I have resumed my early passion for painting and am totally inspired by the colour and shape of everyday objects and landscapes.  My style tends to be impressionistic and I work mainly in oil largely because of its richness of texture and adaptability, plus the tactile quality of oil which is irreplaceable.  I enjoy using bright colours to depict the beauty of nature and truly appreciate the challenge of "plein air" painting which I have recently pursued in France, Italy and Poland.”

Polina Porotikova

“I was born in Leningrad Russia (now St.Petersburg) and was fortunate to survive the famous siege of the city during World War2. I have been living in London for 22 years. I work on canvases and boards with acrylic and find inspiration from painting landscape and reflections. In 2017 my painting "View from Scotland"' was shortlisted for Summer exhibition in The Royal Academy of Arts. I am a member of Ealing Art Group.”

Irina Afonina

“Entirely self-taught, I have a passion for art as long as I can remember. Art frees me, it’s my whole world. Woods and meadows have always been my favourite themes. Wild flowers have a certain meaning to me: dandelions imply dreams and wishes as well as new beginnings, whereas poppies symbolize living in a dream world. I have a very special relationship with the Forest. To me, it’s a place where I can relax my mind and just be myself. Whenever I am in woodland, it always feels like home. The Forest sometimes can be seen as a dark place, but it's certainly not a scary place. My dark forest usually represents some unexplored possibilities, creativity and new discoveries. To me Forest means "my inner world", and I often use this symbolic meaning in my paintings.”