Felicity is a professional artist, known for her still life paintings, domestic interiors, portrait drawings and landscapes made on location in Dorset or on travels abroad. She is an elected member of the New English Art Club and The Pastel Society and her work can be seen each year in their Annual Exhibitions held at the Mall Galleries in central London.
Work:
I work primarily in pastel which links colour with drawing and is immediate, fresh and vibrant. Subject matter frequently dictates the medium – I may draw in ink or use watercolours, pastels or oil paints.
Drawing is fundamental to my work. Instinctively searching for lines and shapes that interest me most I make drawings and paintings directly from the subject with a fresh eye and lively hand. I enjoy the challenge of working to the inevitable boundary of time. Editing intuitively and responding with spontaneous expressive marks to create a vital equivalent.
I am inspired by travel and new places but equally respond to domestic subject matter; intriguing arrangements and complex interiors are a fascination and of course the ultimate challenge of figures and portraits.
Studio works are developed from my collection of sketchbook drawings or studies made en plein air, evoking the essence of a subject by exploring mark, pigment and support.
Drawing:
As a young child, paper was in short supply and there was never sufficient for my prolific graphite output. I clearly recall making pencil drawings on the insides of unfolded food cartons, the plain end papers of books and surreptitiously behind curtains on the wonderful surface of painted wall.
I was fortunate to benefit from a post-war education that gave time and status to Art and this encouraged and developed my visual skills. Creating art has always been important to me and I enrolled on various short courses with artists I admired learning piecemeal.
Following a career school teaching I worked as an illustrator and as a tutor of life drawing at the Arts University Bournemouth and tutoring short courses at West Dean College. I now work in my Bournemouth studio in Dorset primarily using soft chalk pastels . I frequently draw on location and paint with watercolours pastels and oils.
Exhibitions:
My work has been selected for various exhibitions including:
The Royal Society of Portrait Painters
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Royal West of England Academy Annual Exhibition
The Discerning Eye
The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour
RWS Contemporary Watercolour
Awards:
I have received these Awards for work in Pastel Society Exhibitions:
Purcell Paper Award
Daler Rowney Pastels Award
Sarah Samuels Gallery Award
Talens Rembrandt Pastels Award
Gilders Workshop Framing Award
Annie Longley Award
Frank Herring Award
Cross Gate Gallery Purchase Award
The Arts Club Award
The Bill Patterson Memorial Prize
The Artists Magazine Award
Also:
2025 New English Art Club: Bowyer Drawing Prize
2025 New English Art Club: Val Harris Residency & Exhibition Award
2007 New English Art Club, St Cuthberts Mill Award
2005 Discerning Eye, The Meynell Fenton Award
Memberships:
New English Art Club
The Pastel Society
Bournemouth Arts Club
Poole Printmakers
Publications:
My work has been included in the following Books:
'Watercolour Techniques for the Artist' by Richard Pikesley Crowood Press 2025
‘Pure Pastel ‘ Contemporary Works by Today’s Top Artists by Anne Hevener April 2019
‘Extraordinary Sketchbooks’ by Jane Stobart
'Drawing 365' by Katherine Tyrrell, Apple Press
'Drawing & Painting on Location' by Kevin Scully, Crowood Press
Magazine Features:
June 2020
Artists & Illustrators
Paint at Home (beauty in the everyday during lockdown)
May 2009
The Artist Magazine
Figures in Pastel
October 2009
The Pastel Journal (USA)
Infinite Variety
December 2009
Watercolour Artist (USA)
Bon Voyage: travel with watercolours
March 2010
The Artist magazine
Pastel Still Life
June 2012
Leisure Painter
Complicated Subjects
November 2012
The Artist Magazine
Painting with Pastels in India
May 2013
The Artist Magazine
Pastel Surfaces
July 2013
Artists & Illustrators
Masterclass: Interiors in pastel
July 2014
Artists & Illustrators
Summer Picnic in Pastels
July 2018
Artists & Illustrators
About the House (Felicity House talks about her garden scenes)
Nov 2019
Artists & Illustrators
Talking Technique
