Christine Pearson has always had a love of art, finding inspiration in the work of artists such as David Hockney, with his magnificent landscapes, and Patrick Heron, with his vibrant abstracts. Some of her most memorable experiences have been standing before paintings in exhibitions, captivated by their colour, scale and beauty.
After retiring from a career as a primary school teacher, during which she particularly enjoyed encouraging children’s creativity, Christine began her own artistic journey. In 2017, she enrolled on a series of watercolour courses at Leicester Adult Education Centre, where an inspiring tutor helped nurture her enthusiasm and develop her skills. This led to her work being selected for Open exhibitions at Loughborough's Sock Gallery in 2019 and Leicester's New Walk Museum in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Christine subsequently discovered fused glass and was immediately captivated by the possibilities of this exciting medium, developing her techniques through further classes at the Adult Education Centre. In 2026, she returned to watercolour sessions with her original tutor, enjoying a renewed sense of focus, inspiration and encouragement.
Nature is at the heart of much of Christine’s work. A keen gardener with a deep appreciation of the natural world, she is particularly drawn to plants, landscapes and the ever-changing character of the coast. Favourite locations include the North-East coast, Cornwall, Swansea Bay and the Gower Peninsula, where she gathers inspiration through her own photography.
The dramatic cliffs and seabird colonies at Bempton, windswept shorelines, expansive stormy skies and shifting patterns of light and shadow all provide a rich source of inspiration.
“The exhilaration of looking down onto the ocean, the wind blowing in your hair, or watching the drama of stormy skies makes me want to translate those experiences into colour, shape and line.”
Christine seeks to capture not only the beauty of these places but also their atmosphere, energy and sense of presence, interpreting them through both naturalistic and semi abstract forms.
Watercolour and inks are her preferred media, often enriched with pastel and collage. She particularly enjoys giving old watercolour paintings a new lease of life by transforming them into collage elements, sometimes using them to represent something entirely different from their original subject. Gelli-printed papers and pages from old books also find their way into her work, adding texture, depth and unexpected detail.
Christine enjoys exploring a variety of subjects and approaches, from flowers gathered in her garden to experimental abstracts and mixed-media collages. Her fascination with coastal landscapes also extends into her fused glass work, where she creates panels inspired by rocky shores, incorporating metallic elements that produce intriguing and sometimes unpredictable reactions within the glass.
Throughout her work, Christine is guided by curiosity, experimentation and a continuing delight in discovering new ways to express the beauty of the natural world.
