Liz Shedden
Liz studied fashion and textiles in the 80’s and after living in London and the Middle East she returned to Whitstable where for the past 28 years she has been painting and exhibiting her work. She has established a core following of clients who have loved her windy seascapes influenced by the Whitstable surroundings.
I trained in Fashion and Textiles in the 1980’s and my work has always been influenced by texture and pattern. After living overseas and London I moved back to my home town of Whitstable in 992 and started painting again. I have exhibited extensively over the years starting with Whitstable Contemporary Arts which gave me the encouragement to exhibit. The group was influential in that we made a case for an arts centre in Whitstable which ultimately resulted in the Horsebridge Arts centre we have today. I can’t take any credit for that but it was exciting to be a part of it.
Some of you will remember me from my shop and gallery Betty loves Bryan which I opened in 2014 - (It was so named after my parents who always encouraged us to be creative). I closed the premises and had a studio built in my garden where I paint every day. My work has evolved over the years from pictorial to a more abstract style. …. The thing for me has always been colour and how colours react to each other. It’s still so exciting even after all these years. I usually start with drawing and loose watercolours in my sketchbook and then drawing in paint on the canvas I work into the paint building up layers until an abstract image emerges to evoke a feeling .
Most people have known me for my ‘windy’ seascapes and whilst the sea has been an inspiration, over the past couple of years the garden and all things botanical have had an influence too. I took a short course in Biophilic Design learning how we can benefit from nature in interior design in our homes and work places. I also continue to be inspired by places I visit on my travels - colours, smells, weather - the Greek islands, Scottish highlands, South of France.
EXHIBITION/REPRESENTATION
Horsebridge Gallery 1 and 2
SE Open Studios
Gallery at Betty loves Bryan
POD Architects, Spital Square
And Devonshire Square
Linden Hall Gallery, Winter show, Deal
Urbanista Retail, Whitstable
Fitzrovia Gallery December 2024
Lilford Gallery, Canterbury
Website: lizsheddenstudio.com
Instagram: @liz_shedden_studio
We are delighted to have Liz as part of our Contemporary Kent Artists exhibition at The Horsebridge Arts Gallery on the 8th - 20th of October 2025.
If you walk along Prospect Field and down the path over the railway bridge to the sea you can see Seasalter in the distance.
Seasalter beach sits along the coast from Whitstable on the North Kent coast.
Being pushed in her pram along the beach listening to the tinkling sounds of the coast is one of Liz’s’ earliest memories of growing up in Whitstable by the sea.
These memories continue to be reflected in many of her calming, tranquil paintings.
Her work has evolved over the years from pictorial to a more abstract style, where inspiration is drawn and can strike anywhere from; a colour, a flower, a place to even a simple reflection within a puddle.