An artist all her working life, Nel’s love of nature is boundless
Nel Whatmore has been a professional artist for over thirty five years. Her wonderful studio is in The Twisting at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley. It was a 19th Century Woollen Mill, that over the last 16 years has been converted into an inspirational hub of creative businesses in west Leeds.
Nel moved into the mill nearly 5 years ago when they converted the old Finishing Room into artists studios. Her studio has wonderful light and huge windows over looking the west side of Leeds and the surrounding villages.
Her work follows two main themes currently ,studying water and skies and florals from her own Garden predominantly, as well as ventures into Abstracts inspired by her two main themes.
She is a keen gardener and finds being close to nature and just simply being outside hugely beneficial and cathartic. In recent years her family have been some what beset with serious illnesses and so being creative and painting and its ability to distract and transport you has beome all the more meaningful. She loves recording all the flowers in her garden and taking part in the #artistsupportpledge initiative also. This initiative was started by Mathew Burrows to help support artists during tghe pandemic. So all artists produce small unframed works for less than £200 and when they have sold a £1000 worth they pledge to buy another artists work.
In the last year in her pursuit of wonderful skies and mesmeric seas she has travelled to Scotland again, exploring the Lochs as well as to Devon and Suffolk and of course nearer to home along the Yorkshire coast.
Nel has been a regular exhibitor at Chelsea Flower Show where her stand won multiple awards . Her work can be seen in many forms all over the world. She has a loyal following with many private collectors who have also now become friends.
She started her working life as a professional artist in 1986 with the help of The Prince’s Trust in a bedsit in Leeds. She met her husband the writer Mark Morris while at University. They live in North Yorkshire and have two grown up children, Polly who is an Artist in her right and with whom she has collaborated on The Garden Project with and David who is a Physicist!
Nel was invited to Clarence House to a special reception with HRH the Prince of Wales where she presented his Royal Highness with one of her original paintings as part of the Trust's 35th Year Celebrations.
She seeks to constantly explore mediums and their ability to convey emotion.
Nel has had six books of poetry published called the ‘Reasons to Be’ series, which are now sold out, and also has designed fabric collections for Westminster Fibres' Freespirit brand in the States.
Her work is licensed worldwide and she is represented by Jewel Branding in North America , and at all major shows including Surtex in New York and Brand Licensing in Las Vegas.
All her Pattern Collections are inspired either by her fine art paintings or from natural forms. They have a hand made, painterly feel and are always in uplifting colour palettes. CLICK HERE TO SEE HER TEXTILES
“Being a painter is a life long challenge to try to say something of worth. If my work moves people, raises a smile or lightens your heart, then that makes it all worthwhile.” Nel x
New Studio is in the Twisting Gallery at Sunny bank Mills, 83-85 Town St, Farsley, Pudsey LS28 5UJ.
