"Colour and light and drawing are very important to me. Colour is used to evoke emotion, and gives a sense of time and place; light is used to create space and to mask and hide objects, creating a sense of mystery."
Born in London in 1965, Henrietta Stuart earned her BA in Fine Art (1st class) from Newcastle University in 1988. Her artistic journey took her to Marseilles, France, where she lived from 1988 to 1992. Subsequently, she established a studio in Chiswick, London, from 1993 to 1997. Henrietta worked at Chertsey Studios from 1997 to 2003 before embarking on a chapter in Languedoc, France, lasting from 2003 to 2011. During this period, she engaged in extensive travel and artistic endeavours in Greece, with extended stays on the island of Ithaca. In 2011, Henrietta settled in West London and has been actively contributing to the art scene from Wimbledon Art Studios since then.
Henrietta creates abstract oil paintings on canvas, drawing inspiration from observed elements. Initially focusing on still life, she has shifted towards predominantly depicting landscapes. Her objective is to capture the essence of time and place through the interplay of colour and light. Stuart employs a technique of painting in thin layers, overlaying one upon another to leverage the transparency of the medium, an approach mastered by Turner and Titian.
Recent influences from visits to the West coast of Scotland and the West Sussex coastline have enriched her artistic vision. In February 2019, Henrietta was granted a residency at Cill Rialaig in Kerry, Ireland, and the experiences along the west coast of Ireland have infused her latest works with a heightened sense of enchantment.
