My name is Bethany Jefferson-Loveday and I am an artist based in Greenhill, Evesham. I studied fine art up to A-Level at school and spent far too much time on my art homework, to the detriment of my other subjects and frustration of my Mother! I focused on portraits at the time, inspired by great artists such as Lucian Freud. I have spent much of my youth and 20s exploring galleries for inspiration.

I had a break from art, focusing on my career, degree and professional qualifications. However, last year, when pregnant with my first baby, I was diagnosed with cancer. I was signed off work for 4 months whilst having chemotherapy. During this period, I started painting again. It was a great way to relax and fill the walls of our relatively new home. I assumed I would be too busy to continue painting when my baby arrived, but was determined and have managed to paint in the months since she was born. I am now in remission and rediscovering my love of painting was one of the silver linings of all that I have been through over the last 12 months.

My most recent works focus on gardens around Worcestershire and The Cotswolds, which I visited during my pregnancy and since having my daughter. We are surrounded by beautiful places and it is great to be able to bring them to life on canvas. I paint from my own photographs using acrylics. I have been recently inspired by David Hockney's style and techniques, using his book "A Bigger Picture" as a point of reference. I particularly like to focus on large expanses of foliage and do so in a bold, colourful style. I have very much enjoyed painting on a reasonably large scale as it enables me to be more expressive within my work.

My portfolio is still growing, but I hope you enjoy what I have produced to date. At the open studios 2023, I will be exhibiting my latest collection of work focusing on The Cotswolds and Worcestershire Gardens and I plan to paint whilst accepting visitors, so will be happy to demonstrate my techniques.

Contact: bethanyjloveday@gmail.com