Carolyn Pavey paints mainly in oils or acrylic with mixed media. Having originally trained as an illustrator at Brighton University the rigorous training Carolyn Pavey received in drawing and painting has been the mainstay of her work ever since. Carolyn Pavey has exhibited widely, having work in collections both in the UK and abroad.

Carolyn Pavey is inspired by many aspects of everyday life, the English countryside and the beaches near her home on the Isle of Wight, to literature, song lyrics and gardens.

“I always carry my sketchbook as you never know when something will strike a chord. A conversation overheard, a train journey, the wildlife in the countryside or even the seemingly mundane; all can inspire me to tuck myself in the studio and experiment with the paintbrush. I enjoy mixing colours and if the occasion arises will grind my own paints. I like the whole chemistry of the process and I can control the finished paint to be the consistency I need.

Being a painter is wonderful as I can explore anything I wish in any way that I choose. I want the observer to identify with the finished work and to almost become part of the painting.

Life is a gift to be explored. I view the world in terms of colour and line, and if my paintings sometimes make people smile with me along the way, then that is a bonus.”