Katherine Elliott Northumberland, United Kingdom

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I am a Northumberland-based wildlife artist working primarily in watercolour. Painting directly onto the paper without preliminary drawing, I create loose, expressive work exploring character, connection and the vulnerability of the natural world, balancing fluid washes and expressive marks with areas of focused detail.

I am a Northumberland-based wildlife artist working primarily in watercolour. My practice centres on the character and presence of animals, with an increasing focus on wildlife conservation and our relationship with the natural world.

I work directly onto the paper without a preliminary drawing, allowing each painting to develop intuitively through water, pigment and expressive mark-making rather than following a predetermined outline. I often allow areas of the subject to remain unresolved or disappear completely into the untouched paper, concentrating greater detail around the face, eyes or point of connection.

I am particularly drawn to the balance between control and unpredictability that watercolour offers. Pigment blooms, granulation, watermarks and broken edges become part of the finished work rather than effects to be corrected. More recently, I have been experimenting with watercolour ground, palette-knife application and larger, looser washes while retaining the transparency and spontaneity that characterise my work.

My subjects range from British wildlife to threatened species from around the world. Increasingly, I want my work to go beyond creating a likeness. Through the intimacy of animal portraiture, I hope to create a sense of connection with the individual animal and, in turn, encourage greater awareness of the natural world and the uncertain future facing many species.

Artwork

Springbound , Watercolour on 100% cotton paper, 2026

	Details
	tARTget Painting Prize 2026 04/07/2026 TARTGET PAINTING PRIZE is an international painting competition and cultural project created to promote artists and give greater visibility to contemporary painting. My watercolour What Remains was selected as a finalist in the 2026 competition, with Emerging Blue also reaching the semi-final stage.	n/a	Details
	Sketch for Survival 2026 — Highly Commended 01/02/2026 — ongoing Sketch for Survival is a global art initiative in aid of conservation, organised by conservation charity Explorers Against Extinction, using art to raise awareness and funds for threatened species and their habitats. My watercolour Farne Mist, inspired by the puffins of Northumberland’s Farne Islands, was longlisted in the 2026 competition... [Read more]	n/a	Details

Katherine Elliott Northumberland, United Kingdom Back to profiles Invite to apply

Artwork

Projects and exhibitions

tARTget Painting Prize 2026

Sketch for Survival 2026 — Highly Commended

Katherine Elliott Northumberland, United Kingdom

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