An artist based in UK
Toni Watts
Toni Watts is one of the few remaining professional illuminators practising the medieval craft of illumination in the UK. Trained as a doctor, Toni worked as a GP for 21 years, before resigning to care for elderly parents. Painting has always been a hobby, since her childhood, and she had regular exhibitions of her wildlife paintings even during her hears as a doctor.
Toni specialises in creating illuminated manuscripts using 24-carat gold leaf, handmade gesso, home-made paint, replicating techniques and recipes dating back to the medieval period when books were handwritten and decorated by hand. Toni makes her own paints using pigments from rocks, minerals, roots, berries and leaves. Her exquisite work combines painting, illustration, gilding, calligraphy, and also draws from chemistry, geology and botany.
She has painted since she was a child, has been a professional wildlife artist since 2005, and an illuminator since 2012. Toni has both a Bachelor’s degree and a Masters in Art History.
Follow Toni on Instagram, or visit her website.
Highlights
Artist in Residence, Lincoln Cathedral
Conducts workshops internationally
Awards:
Art and Framing Industry award – Fine Art Trade Guild ‘Best Depiction of the Living World’
Finalist David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year
Christopher Parsons Award for Artistic Excellence
Best Bird Painting – Wildscape Wildlife Artist of the Year
Exhibitions
Solo exhibition, Lincoln Cathedral 2016
Juried exhibitions include:
Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers 2012 – 2014 Mall Galleries, London
David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2012 Mall Galleries, London and Shalford, Surrey.
Society of Women Artists 2005 – 2009 Mall Galleries, London
British Birdwatching Fair 2005 – 2013
MA Art History
Diploma from The Prince's School of Traditional Arts
Key Interest
Illumination, wildlife art
ARTISTS | Toni Watts, Susan Lui, Arathi Ayyangar
BASED IN | United Kingdom
TITLE | Across the Oceans
This collaborative piece is based on the theme of ‘Nature’. The centre section was written, painted and illuminated by Susan Lui in Singapore with the central image being inspired by a traditional Peranakan tile. The work was then flown to India, for Arathi Ayyangar to add words, an illuminated border and an Indian miniature painting. Finally, it arrived in the UK to have a border of English oak leaves added by Toni Watts in 24 carat, red, green, green and moon gold on gesso, with acorns gilded with platinum leaf, tooled to create the acorn ‘cups’. None of the artists knew what the previous person was planning to add to the piece so it grew organically – a confluence of styles and cultures with lots of gold.
SIZE | 180 x 180 mm
MEDIUM | Gesso, gold and platinum leaf, gouache on 300g Fabriano HP paper.
STARTING BID (Prices are in USD) | 200
BIDDING PLATFORM | Zoom Exclusive
ARTWORK CODE | Collab_AcrosstheOceans