Valerie Petts

My working life began as a medical research technician in clinical immunology but after some years the more creative side took over, and since about 1990 I’ve been a full-time artist. I’ve painted mostly architecture and landscapes of Oxfordshire and South Africa first just in watercolour, but later in oils as well.  I’ve been fortunate in having numerous exhibitions in the UK as well as Cape Town and Tokyo. 

Over the years I’ve illustrated various books – ‘Oxford Words and Watercolours’, ‘Consider England’; guidebooks for Pitkin publishers, 5 books by David Cranston FRS and books by local historian, Mark Davies. A commission for 70 watercolours of Worcester College are also in a book. Most recently, a series of new small paintings of Jericho, together with annotation by Mark Davies is published as ‘Jericho – a Celebration’ – to mark Jericho being 200 in 2025!

Since lockdown I’ve taken up sculpting the figure in clay which I find thoroughly enjoyable and challenging… and have also had a brief fling with decorative ceramics. There are till plenty of ideas I hope to explore in oils, and I always enjoy attending new classes and workshops to try out new things and meet new people … it’s all a great way to spend one’s so-called retirement years…!