Anna Shelvey

My work is rooted in emotion, atmosphere and experimentation. Drawn to the sea and coastal landscapes around Thanet and Brighton, I create expressive abstract paintings inspired by movement, light and changing weather.

Painting has become a way of continuing through uncertainty, self-doubt and constant questioning while still choosing to create. Some pieces arrive instinctively, others through pulling apart familiar processes and rebuilding them in a different way. I’m interested in the tension between control and freedom, and in creating work that feels emotionally honest rather than overly polished.

Working primarily with acrylic paint and acrylic mediums, I use layering, abrasion and mark-making to create surfaces that evoke weather, erosion, movement and memory. My process is intuitive and experimental, often allowing the painting to reveal its own direction as it develops.

I am a selected member of the East Kent Art Society.

In 2026, my work was exhibited at Creative Maidstone, selected for the In A Space Open Call Exhibition in Whitstable (23–26 May and 30–31 May 2026), and selected to exhibit in Bodies of Water at Square Gallery (27 June – 8 August 2026).

Educated at Roedean School in Brighton and Canterbury Christchurch University in Kent

Selected Exhibitions

2026 – Bodies of Water, Square Gallery, Margate
2026 – In A Space Open Call Exhibition, Whitstable
2026 – Creative Maidstone Exhibition