Estelle Jourd

Estelle's work is inspired by the sea and sky of the North Kent coast where she has lived for most of her life.

I have lived and worked in Whitstable for most of my life, and my paintings are deeply rooted in the ever-shifting light, sea, and sky that surround this coastal town. The landscape here is never static — it’s a constant dialogue between water and atmosphere — and that sense of change is something I return to again and again in my work.

In the 1990s, I studied Fine Art at the Kent Institute of Art & Design in Canterbury, with a focus on sculpture. One of my sculptural pieces from this period was exhibited as part of the Whitstable Biennale in 2006.

Using oils on wood or canvas and applying paint with a palette knife, I build my pieces slowly, layering colour and texture over time. Each painting carries its own history, visible traces of decisions, revisions, and gestures that shape the final piece.

My work has been exhibited widely in the local area and at the Osborne Studio Gallery in London, and collected in places as far afield as Scotland, France, Germany, Hong Kong and Japan. Nowadays I primarily sell my paintings through word of mouth directly from my studio in Seasalter. Until recently, I also exhibited each October as part of the Artist’s Open Houses, where I’ve built a loyal and supportive following.

Painting for me is a way to translate a place I know intimately into something that others can experience, in their own way, through texture, light, and form.

We are delighted to have Estelle as part of our Contemporary Kent Artists exhibition at The Horsebridge Arts Gallery the 8th - 20th of October 2025.