ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Trish Mitchell paints the subtleties of light, form, and the exquisite details of the natural world as a quiet act of devotion — to beauty, to stillness, and to presence. Rooted in the classical oil painting tradition, her work reflects a deep reverence for skill, craftsmanship, and the enduring language of realism. It is shaped by a lifelong sensitivity to aesthetics, informed by her European heritage and a belief in art’s timeless capacity to communicate our shared humanity.

She is fascinated by the way light transforms — how it moves across a petal or catches the edge of a leaf, bringing hidden nuances to life and revealing something numinous, almost otherworldly. Her paintings are about that moment of recognition — when the ordinary becomes numinous, and time seems to hold its breath.

In 2023, Trish relocated from Cape Town to the Cotswolds — a landscape that had long lived in her imagination — in search of creative stillness, a slower rhythm, a gentler pace. The English countryside offers her the space to reflect, to refine, and to root herself in presence. It is the quiet backdrop that allows her inner world to expand.

In person, she is spirited, expressive — someone who finds joy in conversation, connection, and laughter. But in the studio, everything quiets. Painting becomes a space of calm intimacy — where energy softens and depth takes over. It’s where she finds stillness within, and offers it in return.

The floral compositions she chooses to paint are selected for resonance. She is drawn to the lesser-seen, the fleeting, the quietly exquisite — the richness of the floral kingdom across cultures and seasons. These are not botanical illustrations, nor decorative ornaments. They are meditations on beauty, memory, and light — held in form, yet alive with feeling. For her, they are visual metaphors for sanctuary.

She is especially interested in how her work makes people feel. She wants the viewer to exhale. To pause. To feel gently grounded, yet quietly moved and inspired.

Collected internationally, her paintings are chosen by those who seek more than decoration — those who understand the emotional architecture of a space, and the power of art to hold it. These are future heirlooms, crafted slowly and with intention, offering quiet luxury and lasting presence in the homes they live within.

Her artistic identity lies in her restraint, her sensitivity, and her unshakable belief in the sacred power of stillness — both in life, and on the canvas.

About trish

Artist in a studio wearing an apron, holding brushes and a palette, with a canvas on an easel in the background.

Trish Mitchell is a British–South African oil painter based in the Cotswolds, celebrated for her refined floral still lifes that explore light, emotion, and stillness. Rooted in classical realism and shaped by contemporary restraint, her work is quietly powerful, delicately composed, and emotionally resonant.

After an early career in commerce, Trish trained in classical oil painting and now works exclusively in oils — creating floral compositions that invite pause and presence. Her practice is a meditation on subtlety: luminous botanicals, pared-back palettes, and the intimate poetry of light.

Educated at Roedean School in Johannesburg — the sister school to Roedean Brighton — her formative years were shaped by an enduring connection to cultivated gardens and architectural elegance. The school’s rose garden, paired with its motto “We walk this way but once, let us beautify the path we go,” became an early catalyst for her reverence for nature and detail.

In 2023, Trish relocated to the southern Cotswolds — a landscape long held in her imagination — to immerse herself fully in the seasonal light and botanical richness that now anchor her work. Her practice is slow, intentional, and deeply attuned to presence.

Trish’s paintings have been exhibited internationally and recognised by institutions such as the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Art Renewal Center.

Her collectors — including gallery partners, designers, and private clients — seek not only visual beauty, but a sense of quiet luxury, timelessness, and emotional depth. Each painting is created with heirloom intention: to endure, to resonate, and to hold space with grace.