Kirsty Wither

Kirsty Wither was born in 1968 and studied at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen from 1986 to 1990. She has been working as a full-time artist since she graduated and has had regular solo exhibitions throughout the UK since 1995 and was elected Artist Member of the Chelsea Arts Club in 2004. She currently lives and works from her studio in Brighton.

One of the country's most collected artists, Kirsty's rich, vibrant work is immediately recognisable and she has built up a loyal following around the world for her work. She paints brightly coloured and textured still lifes and landscapes - her paintings being as much about the colour and surface quality as the subject matter, as she applies vibrant layers of oil paint to create her works.

'I think of a painting in terms of colour first, then texture, then the subject matter becomes more defined. It's important for me that if someone is looking at a painting all day, it is an uplifting experience - that doesn't mean the paintings are easy or simplistic, rather that they are built up in strong layers that have a lot of oomph and joy about them!'