Sometimes working in watercolour, charcoal, or making prints, Phyllis’ preferred medium is oil on canvas. Most of her work is figurative: portraits, still life’s and of course landscapes.

Phyllis is a vibrant colourist, with a fluent handling of her material somewhat reminiscent of Kokoschka, though she would probably say that she owes more to Matisse.

“ When in the studio when not working from life – I might work from sketches, other paintings, photographs and my imagination. Usually several different paintings are going on at once….. Music and dancing about! I cannot paint sitting down the energy is wrong….. I believe that drawing and observation are essential skills for any artist. I am very glad that since going to life classes at Epsom Art School at the age of 13 my practice has been to draw with direct and conscientious observation, ruthlessly discarding anything that was found to be ‘not true’. The journey has changed. Truth, authenticity. I feel I am finding new priorities- what concerns me now is to trust and celebrate the instinct of my mature years. “