Penelope Timmis is a distinguished British colourist whose work captures the "life force" and vibrant energy of the natural world. Born in 1956, her practice is shaped by a lifelong connection to the rural landscapes of Lincolnshire and her long-term residency in the Shropshire Hills. Background and Education Penelope’s formal training began at the Froebel Institute in London and continued in Shrewsbury. Her career followed a unique path; for many years, her artistic focus was balanced with raising four children and managing a South Shropshire dairy farm—an experience that deeply informs her visceral portrayals of rural life. Now a full-time professional artist, she is represented in over 30 galleries internationally. Artistic Style and Subject Matter Timmis is celebrated for a style that harmonises energetic movement with an intuitive sense of colour. Working from her "chapel-top" studio, she uses an "artistic shorthand" of watercolour, ink, and acrylics to translate immediate responses captured en plein air into layered, textured compositions. Her portfolio is defined by three primary themes: "boisterous" rural animal studies, large-scale exuberant botanicals, and the crashing coastlines of Pembrokeshire. Professional Recognition As an elected Member of the Society of Women Artists (SWA), a Fellow of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), Penelope’s contribution to contemporary British painting is highly regarded. Her accolades include winning "Best Entry" at the RBSA in 2009 and being shortlisted for the Daily Mail’s ‘Not the Turner Prize’ in 2004. Her work will be featured in the upcoming exhibition A New Legacy: The Society of Women Artists at Stephenson’s Gallery, York in February 2026.