Mary Oldham

'Limousin Cow'

I grew up in a small village in the Bedfordshire countryside and spent most of my childhood at the local riding stables, hence my love of horses and animals.  I have always drawn and painted pictures of friends' horses, and that progressed to their other pets.

I moved to North Devon over thirty years ago with my husband and two daughters, and now consider myself as a local - well, as near as you can be without having three generations in the churchyard!  We run a small nursery (plants not children!) near Croyde, supplying a lot of the local towns and villages with their hanging baskets and summer flowers.

'Palomino'

We have nine horses including a brood mare and her foals, two Jack Russell dogs, three cats, a parrot and thirty assorted chickens, which give me plenty of material for painting!.

While my painting initially started off as a hobby, it progressed through local exhibitions, The North Devon Show, summer exhibitions with the local art club, and for the last two years exhibiting at the Burton Gallery in Bideford.  I always strive to capture the individual characteristics of my animal subjects to project their personality into my portraits.  

 

'Thoroughbred'

 

'Jack Russell'

 I undertake commissions of equine and other animal subjects.  If you would like to see more examples of my work please have a look at my website at www.maryoldhamartwork.com.