Art: The artists inspired by our local landscape

We shine the spotlight on three exceptional local landscape painters and discover what inspires their creative process. Interviews by Louise Cummings

Ely-based artist Beckie Reed creates beautiful evocative paintings inspired by enchanting woodland and treescapes

My art journey: I’ve been painting for as long as I can remember; it’s been my passion since I was old enough to hold a brush. I’ve been a full-time artist for the past 13 years. I’d say my style is a mix of detail and chaos and I love the contrast it creates when you put them side by side.

My inspiration: I love getting out for a long walk and we’re always exploring and finding new places. My husband is a Norfolk boy so we love North Norfolk and head that way a fair bit. The Lake District is a special place for me. I had most of my childhood holidays there and I’m always drawn back; it’s full of happy memories. I’m inspired by anywhere that’s wild and remote but also find inspiration in the mundane - a bit of peeling paint on a shed or the colour of some lichen on a tree trunk. There’s beauty in so many little things and it’s easy to miss. I'm trying to slow down and take more in.

Why I love my job: I love the freedom. It’s the best job in the world and I feel incredibly lucky that I get to do what I love every day and be my own boss.

Where to see my art: I have several galleries that represent me. Locally, Byard Art in Cambridge, and I've just started exhibiting at The Rutland Gallery in Uppingham, Oakham. Further afield, I'm represented by Fairfax Gallery, Norfolk and Tunbridge Wells; McAllister Fine Art, Surrey; Quantum Contemporary Art, London; and Langham Gallery, London.

Upcoming local exhibitions: My next exhibition is a solo show at Fairfax Gallery, Burnham Market, Norfolk, that starts on April 29.
Find out more: Visit beckiereed.com

Clare Millen lives in Hemingford Grey where she creates wonderful semi-abstract paintings inspired by land, sky and sea

My art journey: Having completed a degree in Fine Art I have been a studio-based artist for almost three decades. I paint semi-abstract interpretations of landscapes both real and re-imagined. My painting process is an amalgamation of a memory, intuition and emotion. My landscapes are nowhere yet everywhere. Wild places that resonate with us all.

My inspiration: I love to explore colour, layering and aged surface with paint. I am deeply inspired by the connection between land, sky and sea and find the visual effects of weather and light endlessly fascinating. Living on the edge of the Fens is awe-inspiring for big skies and sweeping horizons. I love that I need go no further than the end of my road for painting inspiration. I also love to travel and have favourite places – Cornwall and The Lake District being top of the list. Further afield the incredible black-lava rock of Lanzarote has fuelled my recent creativity.

Why I love my job: Being an artist means that I am always engaged with and connected to my visual surroundings. I am constantly inspired by nature and feel a profound sense of joy when I’m painting in response to somewhere I have visited. An artist’s work is never finished - one painting is a precursor to the next and every piece is a learning experience for future work. I am never bored and feel a sense of deep contentment when working in my studio. I am blessed to be an artist as it gives my life so much purpose.

Where to see my art: I exhibit in several independent galleries throughout the region as well as in London. I post work updates regularly on Instagram where I really enjoy being part of a global community with other artists.

Upcoming local exhibitions: I am a regular exhibitor with Cambridge Open Studios in July. Normally I show in central Cambridge but this year I will be showing my work for the first time in my village, Hemingford Grey, a stunning riverside location just outside of St Ives. I will also have work on show at The VK Gallery, St Ives; Art in East Anglia, Bury St Edmunds; and The Huntingdon Art Gallery.

Find out more: Visit claremillenart.com

Amy Wormald paints from her home studio in Ely with the vast skies and flat land of the Cambridgeshire Fens a recurring theme in her vibrant work

My art journey: From an early age, picture making was a serious activity. My love of largescale painting started aged 11 when I won a competition to design and paint a large mural. I painted fervently through school and a foundation course in Art & Design, then studied a Fine Art degree where my work became more conceptual. Leaving university, feeling a little disillusioned, I shifted my focus to pursue a career in arts management. But 15 years later I rediscovered my passion for painting. I paint intuitively and my style is all about celebrating colour and vitality.

My inspiration: I paint in response to the landscape around me and the places that I visit. Living in Ely, the vast skies and flat land of the Cambridgeshire Fens are a recurring theme. I am fascinated by wind turbines and obsessed with any form of construction in the landscape including building sites, roadworks and new developments.

Why I love my job: Being an artist means I can use my creativity to communicate and to connect. I love making work that people can enjoy in their homes, offices and in public places. At the moment I'm working on a large-scale painting on the outside of a building for a public art project, a commission proposal for a local business, and a small series of works for a surprise birthday present. Being an artist is never dull.

Where to see my art: My paintings have featured in exhibitions across the UK and I've sold work to buyers all over the world. I started exhibiting in 2017 and won first prize in the Cambridge Open Art Exhibition in 2018. More recently, I was longlisted for the Holly Bush Painting Prize 2022, received a Special Commendation in the Institute of East Anglian Artists Open Exhibition 2022 and was accepted as an artist member of ArtCan.

Upcoming local exhibitions: See my work at ArtCan East Exhibition at Cambridge Leper Chapel, May 25 to 28; The Artists’ Marquee at Burwash Manor, July 1 to 2 and July 15 to 16; and visit my studio in Ely as part of Cambridge Open Studios from May to July.

Find out more: Visit amywormald.net