About lucy marks
Contemporary Landscape Painter
selected HIGHLIGHTS
NOTABLE Exhibitions
Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), Mall Galleries, 2008, 2015, 2019-2025
Royal Academy, Summer Exhibition, 2022, 2023
Society of Women Artists, Mall Galleries, 2017-2026
Royal Watercolour Society (RWS), Bankside Gallery, 2019, 2021-2026
ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024
Chelsea Art Society, 2016-2016
Sunday Times Watercolour Exhibition, 2019
memberships
Full Member Royal Institute of Oil Painters (elected 2025)
Full Member Royal Watercolour Society (elected 2025)
Full Member Chelsea Art Society (elected 2022)
Full Member Society of Women Artists (elected 2022)
Past Solo Exhibitions
“Times of the Day”, Royal Watercolour Society, Whitcomb Street, London, 2024
“Observation and Light”, Online Exclusive - March 2023
"Constable’s Walks", Royal Watercolour Society, Whitcomb Street, London, 2022
“Dawn to Dusk”, Petworth House National Trust, 2021
“Land, Sea and Sky”, Piers Feetham Gallery, 2019
who is lucy marks?
Lucy Marks grew up in and around Brighton. Lucy has worked for over 20 years as a professional painter. Her practice focuses on capturing landscapes and seascapes in Oil, Watercolour and Gouache. Lucy is an observational landscape painter, who works en plein air working directly from the subject, out in all weathers and seasons.
Observation is key and her compositions are drawn from real places. Lucy works alla prima responding directly to the scene to gain a freshness in her work. She works to capture an impression of the mood, atmosphere, and light. In the studio, she uses her en plein air works and field sketches to scale up her paintings to much larger work. . She exhibits her works in prestigious art institutions, has won many awards, is well published and holds an MA in Fine Art from Brighton University.
Lucy holds an MA in Fine Art (Painting) from Brighton University and is a full Member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Royal Watercolour Society, the Chelsea Art Society, and the Society of Women Artists. Lucy participates in exhibitions organized by the Societies of which she is a member. She has also shown with the Pastel Society, the Royal Society of Marine Artists, the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, and the Sunday Times Watercolour Competition to name but a few.
Lucy has undertaken a number of large solo shows. In 2021, she was invited by the Petworth House, National Trust, to paint their park and gardens culminating in a three-month solo show, ‘Dawn to Dusk’, exhibited in the historic house itself. And in 2022, Lucy showed a large body of both oil and watercolours based on three walks John Constable undertook in and around Brighton. ‘Constable’s Walks’ was exhibited in the new Royal Watercolour Society Gallery, Whitcomb Street, London. In 2024, ‘Times of the Day’ showcased over 80 new works in oil, watercolour, and gouache, through which Lucy explored the effects of light across landscapes and seascapes from dawn through the day and into the night. This was also exhibited at the Royal Watercolour Society Gallery in London.
In 2022 Lucy was awarded the ‘Sloane Stanley Medal’ at the Chelsea Art Society. She was also a finalist in the 2022 British Art Prize for her large oil “Golden Dusk” (120 x 200cm). Lucy has shown and sold large oil paintings at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in both 2022 and 2023. In 2020, she was a Finalist for the Drawing Bursary at the ING Discerning Eye, where she also won the Humphrey’s Purchase Prize in 2019.
PRACTICE
Lucy Marks is a British landscape painter working across cultivated gardens, wild landscapes, coastal environments, and seasonal flower studies. Working in oil, watercolour, and gouache, her practice moves between plein air direct observation and studio development, responding to the changing qualities of light, weather, atmosphere, and place.
Painting en plein air throughout the year forms the foundation of her work. Sketchbooks, watercolour studies, and small paintings made outside capture the immediacy of a moment, while larger studio works evolve from these observations. Lucy is interested in the space between seeing and painting — where direct experience of the landscape is transformed through memory, interpretation, and paint.
WORK
Working directly from nature allows Lucy to engage with the changing character of a place in real time. Whether painting a windswept coastline, a cultivated garden, a field edge, or a wild stretch of countryside, her studies act as visual records of atmosphere, colour relationships, structure, and light. Back in the studio, these observations become a starting point rather than a blueprint. Paintings develop through a balance of observation, recollection, and painterly response, allowing each work to remain rooted in the landscape while becoming an interpretation of the experience of being there.
APPROACH
Lucy’s work is concerned with atmosphere, mood, and the emotional resonance of place rather than strict representation. She is drawn to the quiet beauty of cultivated spaces, the abundance of seasonal flowers, the openness of fields and wild ground, and the ever-changing nature of the coast. Working in a loose and responsive manner, often alla prima, she seeks to retain the freshness and immediacy of direct observation. Her paintings prioritise light, movement, colour, and feeling, inviting the viewer into an experience of the landscape rather than a literal description of it.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Lucy is a British landscape painter working in oil, watercolour, and gouache. Her practice is rooted in direct observation and a deep engagement with the natural world. Through plein air painting and studio work, she explores atmosphere, light, and seasonal changes across cultivated gardens, wild landscapes, coastal environments, and flower studies. Returning to places throughout the year allows Lucy to develop an ongoing relationship with the landscape, observing its subtle shifts and rhythms over time. Rather than seeking a literal representation, she aims to convey the experience of being in a place — its mood, character, and sense of presence. Lucy’s paintings are an invitation to pause, look closely, and reconnect with the beauty and wonder found in the natural world.
WAY OF WORKING
Lucy is an observational artist and paints directly from life. She works in both oil and watercolour and paints en plein air and also in her studio. Lucy works alla prima responding directly to the scene to gain a freshness in her work. She works to capture an impression of the mood, atmosphere, and light. In the studio, she uses her en plein air works and field sketches to scale up her paintings to much larger work.
En Plein Air
Lucy primarily paints from life, outside in the landscape. She can be seen in all weathers out with her paints. Lucy’s goal is to convey an impression, a mood, a feeling. Her work is responsive and painterly.
Lucy is a full time painter and paints most days. She works outside most weeks painting and sketching in the landscape or along the coast.
It is essential for her that her landscapes come from a rooted place of reality.
IN THE Studio
In the studio, she uses her en plein air works and field sketches to scale up her paintings to much larger work.
Her process allows her to carry the freshness of the observation captured in her plein air work through into her studio painting.
This year (2026)
June 2026 - Russell Gallery Summer Show, Russell Gallery, Putney, London
June 2026 - Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
June 2026 - Chelsea Art Society Summer Exhibition, Chelsea, London
May 2026 - Southern Plein Air Society, Fisherman’s Quarter, Brighton
April/July 2026 - Royal Watercolour Society Permanent Exhibition, RWS Gallery, London
March 2026 - Royal Watercolour Society Spring Show, Bankside Gallery, London
January 2026 - Pastel Society Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
LAST year (2025)
December 2025 - Elected Full Member Royal Institute of Oil Painters
Nov/Dec 2025 - Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
November 2025 - Chelsea Art Society Members Show, London
October 2025 - Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
Sept/Oct 2025 - A Palette of Artists, Gallery at Green & Stone, London
June/Sept 2025 - Britain’s Landscape, Arundel Contemporary Gallery, Arundel
June/July 2025 - Rutland Gallery Artists, Rutland Gallery, Uppingham
June 2025 - Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition
June 2025 - Chelsea Art Society Summer Exhibition
April 2025 - Elected Full Member Royal Watercolour Society
March 2025 - Royal Watercolour Society Spring Show
February 2025 - Small Works Show, Arundel Contemporary, Arundel
January 2025 - Royal Watercolour Society Mini-Picture Show
January 2025 - Pastel Society Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2008 - 2024 (click + to expand)
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December 2024 - Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, London
November 2024 - ING Discerning Eye
October 2024 - Royal Watercolour Society Autumn and 220th Anniversary Exhibition
October 2024 - The Geedon Gallery, Autumn Show, Colchester
September 2024 - ‘Times of the Day’, Solo Exhibition
September 2024 – Artists & Illustrators Magazine, Masterclass Feature
July-August 2024 – Linden Hall Studio, Deal: Royal Watercolour Society Member Show
July-August 2024 – Royal Watercolour Society Summer Exhibition
June 2024 - Chelsea Arts Society Summer Exhibition
June 2024 – Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition
May-June 2024 – Moncrieff-Bray Spring Exhibition
May 2024 - Linden Hall Studio, Deal: Society of Women Artists Member Show
May 2024 – The Geedon Gallery, Spring Show, Colchester
March 2024 - Royal Watercolour Society Spring Show
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November - December 2023 - Royal Institute of Oil Painters - Annual Exhibition, London
November 2023 - Royal Watercolour Society - Autumn Members’ Show, London
November 2023 - Chelsea Art Society - Autumn Members’ Show, London
November 2023 - A Palette of Artists, London
October - December 2023 - Earthbound Women at Colyer Fergusson Kent University
October - December 2023 - The Geedon Gallery - Autumn Show, Colchester
October 2023 - Royal Watercolour Society Open - Launch Party, London
June-August 2023 - Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London
June 2023 - Chelsea Art Society - Summer Exhibition, London
June 2023 - Piers Feetham Gallery - Aldeburgh Festival
June 2023 - The Royal Watercolour Society Gallery - Inaugural Show ‘NOW’
June 2023 - The Society of Women Artists - 162nd Annual Exhibition
May 2023 - Moncrieff-Bray Gallery - Summer Exhibition
May 2023 - Artists and Illustrators - Masterclass Feature
April 2023 - Society of Women Artists - Elected full Member
March 2023 - Royal Watercolour society Spring Members Show
March 2023 - “Observation and Light”, Solo Show, Online Exclusive
March 2023 - Piers Feetham Gallery, Connect Art Fair, Mall Galleries, London
January 2023 - Chelsea Art Society - Council Member
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November 2022 - Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries, London
November 2022 -The British Art Prize, Finalist, Oxo Gallery, London
October 2022 - Chelsea Art Society Members’ Exhibition, London
October 2022 - William Sloane Award, Chelsea Art Society, London
October 2022 - ‘Less is more’, Royal Watercolour Society, Bankside Gallery, London
September 2022 - Society of Women Artists, Mall Galleries, London
August 2022 - Constable’s Walks. Solo Show, Royal Watercolour Society Gallery, London
July 2022 - Elected Associate Member of the Society of Women Artists
June-August 2022 - Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London
June 2022 - Chelsea Art Society, Annual Exhibition, London
June 2022 - Piers Feetham Gallery, Aldeburgh Festival
June 2022 - London Lives, Royal Watercolour Society, Bankside Gallery, London
May 2022 - Summer Exhibition, Montcrieff-Bray Gallery, Petworth
April 2022 - Celebrating 40 Years, Piers Feetham Gallery, London
March 2022 - Reflections, Royal Water Colour Society, Bankside Gallery, London -
December - January - The Royal Watercolour Society ‘Mini Picture Show’
November - December - Royal Institute of Oil Painters
November - December - Little Gems Show
November - ING Discerning Eye 2021
October - ‘Then and Now’ at the Royal Watercolour Society, Bankside, London
September - ‘The Wedlake Bell Award’ at the Chelsea art Society, London
September - Elected member of the Chelsea Art Society
August - September - Royal Watercolour Society ‘Summer at Bankside’ and ‘September Showcase’, Bankside Gallery, London
July - ‘Dawn to Dusk,’ 3 July - 19 Sept, Solo Show at Petworth House, National Trust in West Sussex.
May - Piers Feetham Gallery, Mixed Spring Show, Fulham, London
April - Elected an Associate Member of the Royal Watercolour Society
March - Finalist, Highly Commended, International Watercolour Masters 2021
February - 7th - 28th, Interpretations of a Landscape, Highgate Contemporary Art, Highgate, London -
November - December - ING Discerning Eye Drawing Bursary shortlist
November - Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries
August - The Society of Women Artists (SWA), Online Show, London
July - Piers Feetham Gallery, Summer Miscellany, Chelsea, London
July - The Artist & Leisure Painter Competition, Patchings Virtual Art Festival -
November - Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries, London
November - ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
September - The Society of Women Artists (SWA), Mall Galleries, London
July - Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, Exhibitor, Mall Galleries, London
April - Piers Feetham Gallery, Solo Show, Chelsea, London
March - Flux Exhibition, Army Museum, London
March - RWS Open Exhibition, Bankside Gallery, London -
December - Annual Exhibition, United Society of Artists, Horsebridge Gallery, Whitstable
December - Christmas Show, St. Anne’s Gallery, Lewes
November - ING Discerning Eye Drawing Bursary
September - The Society of Women Artists (SWA), Mall Galleries, London
August - Sussex Water Colour Society (SWS) Annual Exhibition, Linklater Pavilion, Lewes
August - Shortlisted for the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA)
July - Premium Arts Brand Award, Patchings Art Festival and Exhibition
July - Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Watercolour Competition
July - Guest Artist, Artspring Gallery, Tonbridge
April - Flux Exhibition 2018, Chelsea College of Art, London.
March - Shortlisted for the New English Art Club (NEAC).
January - Shortlisted for the Royal Institute of Painters In Watercolour (RI). -
December - Winter Exhibition, Russell Gallery, London
November - Three works selected and sold at ING Discerning Eye, London
November - The Heatherley’s School of Fine Art, “Chelsea Life”, London
November - Shortlisted for The Pastel Society, Mall Galleries, London
October - Chelsea Art Society, Annual Exhibition, London
October - Finalist, The Stride Open, Chichester
September - Affordable Art Fair (Represented by Russell Gallery), Bristol
September - Society of United Artists, Menier Gallery, London
September - Shortlisted for Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI)
August - Guest Artist, Chalk Gallery, Lewes
July - Flux Exhibition 2017, Chelsea College of Art, London
July - The Society of Women Artists (SWA), Mall Galleries, London
July - St Cuthbert’s Mill Award Winner, 2017 The Artist and Leisure Painter, Patchings Competition and Exhibition
July - Shortlisted for the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA)
June - The United Society of Artists, Members’ Exhibition, Margate
June - Contributed to UK Youth Charity Gala
May - Ox Market Art Gallery, Chichester
April - Russell Gallery, Chelsea Art Fair 2017, Chelsea, London
April - The Royal Institute of Painters In Watercolour (RI), Mall Galleries, London
March - Shortlisted for the New English Art Club (NEAC)
January - Shortlisted for the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) -
December - Winter Show, Russell Gallery, Putney, London
October - Finalist, The Stride Open, Chichester
September - Ox Market Gallery, Chichester
September - Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA), Mall Galleries, London
June - Summer Show, Russell Gallery, Putney, London
June - Chelsea Art Society, Annual Exhibition, London
June - Contributed to UK Youth Charity Gala
May - Shortlisted for the Society of Women Artists (SWA)
April - The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI), Mall Galleries, London
April - National Open Art (NOA), The Other Art Fair, London
March - Shortlisted for the New English Art Club (NEAC) -
October - Shortlisted for the Pastel Society
October - Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), Mall Galleries, London
September - Finalist, The Stride Open, Chichester
July - Exhibited with the New Artist Fair Summer Exhibition, London
June - Finalist, Griffin Gallery Open, London
June - Finalist, National Open Art competition (NOA), HIVE Harrogate
May - Shortlisted for the New English Open (NEAC)
February - Exhibited at The Brick Lane Gallery, London -
Focus of my work has been through MA Fine Art, Brighton University
July 2013 - MA Fine Art YEAR ONE show
July 2014 - MA Fine Art FINAL show -
Teenage Cancer Trust Summer Gala, Brighton
A Summer Miscellany, Highgate Contemporary Art Gallery, London
Untitled Artists, Chelsea, London
Stuttgart Art Fair, Stuttgart
Ox Market Art Gallery, Chichester -
Festive Artists Season, Ox Market Art Gallery, Chichester
Winter Show, Arundel Workshop and Gallery, Arundel
Finalist, The Stride Open, Chichester
Ox Market Art Gallery, Chichester -
Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), Mall Galleries, London