A NEW artist has taken residence at Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre this month.

Andrea Carter, 68, of Appenine Way, Leighton, began painting in 2001 while living in Latvia.

Two years later she moved to Bermuda where she continued her studies.
She admits that she doesn't have a "niche" style of painting.

"My subjects range where the inspiration takes me – from a flower or a bird, to a clown, from macabre to a serene landscape or a stormy sea.

"I paint, mainly, in oils, often textured. I might also use acrylics, egg tempera, air-brush and pastels, reaching out to capture the effect I'm after."

Andrea's work has been seen before at the venue. She's also exhibited in Latvia, Bermuda, London, and galleries in Beds and Herts.

"I invariably work on several paintings at the same time, each having its own theme.

"My current batch is a large canvas – a commission going to the Middle East – with a distinctive Chinese theme of a tree in blossom.

"Others include a lone child staring out to sea, the sun in space, a row of baby birds huddled on a single branch. 

"My exhibitions have no theme but I can only ever paint what I see with my mind."