Valerie Nerva

Valerie is a fine artist living and painting from her home studio, on the borders of the New Forest and Wiltshire/Dorset countryside. In 2006 Valerie embarked on her artistic journey, finding the best teachers she could along the way. A two-year training with artist Trevor Waugh, followed by a Diploma from the Norfolk Painting School, gave Valerie her love of oil painting techniques. Valerie has been exhibiting her work since 2013 in regional exhibitions, national art fairs, online, and each year in Hampshire Open Studios. 

“I am always seeking to express the emotional connection I feel when out in the natural world; the peace; the spirit and sense of place, and of what lies beyond the purely physical. I look for those magical moments on my walks: - the weird, wonderful, majestic tree shapes, rich mosses adorning their sides; the way the light shines through the trees casting deep shadows; the geometry of field boundaries and the big skies; peaceful reflections in water and the symbols that appear in the play between light and shade.

Working from black and white photo reference and sketches, I choose the colours to suggest a particular mood or feeling, which may be very different from the natural colour. Working with the different colour palettes also affects my mood and is part of the joy of painting. I use mainly rich, vibrant oil paint, which allows the paintings to slowly evolve and come into being making each painting unique and special. 

How we experience a painting is very personal – I hope that my artworks create a moment of connection for you, the viewer; a reminder that in all the busyness of our lives there is time to stop and just be, a moment perhaps of peace; of being transported to a special place; and yes, perhaps a little magic.”