Thoughts of Mary Jane Painting

Born in Liverpool in 1972 Angela spent her childhood exploring imaginative worlds of make-believe and books. Learning to read at the age of 3 years, books were like the wardrobe into Narnia, a doorway into other worlds which fed her imagination. She studied English Literature and Politics at university in Manchester and then moved to London to work in Investment Banking. It was in a local cafe in Kings Cross, listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons, that she recalls suddenly knowing she wanted to be an artist. Angela went on to study painting at Wimbledon School of Art and since graduating has exhibited in solo and group shows in London and South East England. Angela currently works and lives in South West London. "Painting and drawing are central to my art practice and allow me to explore the space between fact and fiction. I'm interested in the possibilities of narrative and invoking atmosphere and emotion. My paintings often depict children but are rarely about the subjects, rather the universal theme of childhood - a complex layering of emotion, experience and imaginings. Books, films and photography often inform my work but the process of painting is what I feel most at ease with. I see making art as a form of story telling and making sense of something deep inside, whilst hopefully creating something that others will find pleasure and meaning from."