Beauty Is Truth

Tunbridge Wells-based botanical artist and teacher Billy Showell on painting blossoms, teaching and self motivation

- Diana Crampton

BILLY Showell has lived in Tunbridge Wells for 12 years, working first on the insulated wooden building that forms her studio, before completing renovations to the house.

Although she lived in London for 10 years, in Brixton and Norwood, Billy’s painting really kicked off when she moved to Kent and found that it was compatible with raising a young family. She started teaching painting in the evenings.

Her own artistic education included doing a two-year Foundation Course at Epsom Art School then going on to the prestigious St. Martin’s. She believes that formal art education “gives you contact with like-minded people and it teaches you to be self-motivated.”

Although she started out as an oil painter, Billy wanted to do watercolour which was more popular for teaching evening classes, as the equipment can be packed up easily. 

She quickly became a convert, telling me: “Watercolour is a lovely fluid medium, I can capture the softness of natural subjects. It’s quick so you don’t have to work from photos and it’s delicate.”