Art with Mary P

21/09/2026

I’ve always thought open studios are the closest thing the art world has to being invited into someone’s kitchen.

That happy chaos of creativity in a space that reflects individuality and best of all, the artist is right there to answer my endless questions about their work, process, inspiration.

Yesterday at Chiswick House Open Studios didn’t disappoint!

I loved my conversations with@rachnagarodia about weaving and Julie Derbyshire about photography, and seeing the work of their neighbouring artists.

While outside, the gardens did their thing on a perfect autumn day.

08/09/2026

Are you feathering your nest, now that we’re back from summer? You’re not the only one!

I’ve been busy sourcing artwork for clients’ homes and found some real gems at recent show:

1. For my colour-loving client, this oil painting has so much movement - giving off a peaceful energy, that’s surreal and maybe even a little unsettling - is it a plant? an imagined creature?
“The Nest”
by Ewa Galek Ewa Galak-Anderson

2. I’ve been looking for a natural piece for a client who loves neutrals and a calming feel for her home. This handmade stoneware is so tactile, with its ridges and nubbly texture, you just want to touch it. The tortoise shell colouring and the round shape will add variety to a room currently hung with rectangular paintings.
“Abyss”
by Ottavia Sitia Ottavia Sitia

3. Soft colours, and a pretty beachy scene made a little subversive with the gull-winged lighting and men dressed in street clothes, rather than kids in swimsuits. I’m showing this to my client who loves undercurrent and ambiguity in the works she collects.
“Still Far Away 3”
by Diana Mater Diana Matar

4. “I let the work emerge naturally,” says this artist, “ to see myself from different viewpoints.” These meditative ceramics feel so organic, like shells, bones, or mandalas that have washed onto the shore, so tactile. I’ve selected these for my London client who loves the pace of city life, but whose home is her sanctuary.
“To Be Without Saying So”
by Chien-Jul Huang (Ray) Chien-Jui Huang (Ray)

5. Thank you to Kindred Founder & CEO, Angelique Schmitt for taking me through the show!


Can’t wait to see which of these resonate! I’m curious which you find interesting?

01/09/2026

Whatta joyful summer with family, friends and a bit of art sprinkled in☀️ Feeling like one lucky gal to spend time with people I don’t often see.

And now…back to London to see what autumn has in store…

18/08/2026

There’s a particular kind of light that only exists at the end of a summer day — that molten red-to-gold that makes everything feel like it’s about to disappear.

My artist friend Jason Thomas Architect (multi-talented) caught it perfectly in this piece: a surfer heading home, board under arm, silhouette burned into the sky.

I love how the texture does double duty here — it’s the sunset, but it’s also the grain of sand, the last stretch of a day well spent. There’s something about painting a figure entirely in silhouette that allows the viewer to participate, placing themselves or others in the work, walking off any beach on a late summer day.

What’s the last light of summer look like where you are? 🌅🏄

07/08/2026

Maybe it’s the sun on my own skin lately, but I’m really noticing how differently painters translate it.

A few I’ve been sitting with, in shows and in studios —
official — colour laid down in distinct, structural planes. Ochre, tan, salmon, umber, placed edge to edge rather than melting into each other, and the effect is almost sculptural — skin built like a mosaic.

Kayoon Anderson 가윤 — a warm, varied palette and loose directional strokes that keep the skin feeling alive.

Brogan Bertie — thick, vibrant strokes and faces lit from within. Skin here isn’t about accuracy, it’s colour doing the work of light.

I’m wondering which of these feels less like paint and more like memory?

04/08/2026

31/07/2026

A brief pause in London between travels to see some artists and shows whose work I’ve followed and admired for years.

My first stop was Kayoon Anderson’s show at Huxley Parlour. The work of Kayoon Anderson 가윤 has captivated me since I saw her degree show at City & Guilds a few years ago — her refined technique, her patterned compositions referencing art history, now reflecting her life as a new mother. So moving.

The restraint of her technique is nowhere more evident than in the baby’s arm — barely rendered, almost dissolving into the surrounding warmth.

A show well worth seeing - Huxley-Parlour Gallery until 4 August

28/07/2026

Recently placed these gems in my client’s heavenly beach home.

Seeing these in their new home reminded me how much artwork can set a mood and create an atmosphere, while reflecting the fun loving personalities of these collectors.

1. By Holly Cunningham Holland Cunningham
2. By Christina Dobbs Christina Dobbs

Oh how I love summer…you?!?☀️😎🏖️