Lesley Skeates

Lesley is a landscape and floral painter, using palette knives and thick, luscious oil paint to capture a scene. She has developed a painterly style, working at speed to capture fleeting moments of light, weather or tide.
Lesley grew up in the Midlands, but deep down she has always felt an affinity with the countryside and the coast.
After graduating in Fine Art from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Lesley enjoyed a successful career as a Medical Artist, working in universities and hospitals in Birmingham and Edinburgh. During that time she won awards for her design work, and her illustrations featured in academic books and journals, including the world-famous Gray’s Anatomy. 
Lesley continued to paint when time allowed, and now follows a second career as a painter full time. Settled in Scotland, she finds endless inspiration in her surroundings, including her own walled garden in Edinburgh

Artist's Statement

I am happiest immersed in the countryside, nestled beneath a tree or at the water's edge, painting 'en plein air' directly from nature. I paint to share this experience - the warmth of the sun, the breeze, the bird song or the splash of the burn. Occasionally I glimpse a kingfisher or an unsuspecting deer that has wandered too close.
Recently, I have also found solace in local gardens and parks, and rediscovered the delights of studying flora in all its variety and splendour.
Using small panels I work 'alla prima', swiftly applying one thick layer of oil paint. Palette knives allow me to drag and push the colours into each other and create rich pattern and texture.
Larger pictures are painted back in my studio in Edinburgh. Using the experience I have gained through painting outside, I endeavour to evoke the same memories and wonder that nature affords.