Laura Blakely is a painter and tutor working in Hampshire.

I’m a Hampshire based oil painter specialising in animal and people portraits. When I’m not working on commissions I teach adults classical drawing and oil painting techniques at the Classical Art Academy, Bournemouth and a range of media to beginners in the New Forest. I also offer 1:1 online tuition and painting advice.

A professional artist for 15 years I started selling sketches and paintings of couples and pets while at university, where I actually studied psychology! I like to think it gives me an insight into what makes us tick, and hopefully I capture some of that in my portraits. Of course something very important to the human condition is the relationship we have with the animals that share our life. I have two house rabbits who are nine years old and still up to mischief, adorable veggie-piranhas that they are.

After my psychology degree I did summer painting courses in Florence and London before 7 years part-time study at the Classical Art Academy Bournemouth where I studied under Martin Close and Anastasia Pollard. The study was part-time as I was also holding down a job in market research! I learnt a great many things in that job, about professionalism, attention to detail, about the different types of tomato available in UK supermarkets…. Anyway I made the leap to full time artist Christmas 2022 and haven’t looked back!

I love nothing more than meeting my furry subjects for pet portraits, so if you’re interested in a painting but you haven’t got a good photo for me to work from and you’re in the south central region I can pop by and do a photo shoot. Animals just don’t stay still long enough to paint from life, so very inconsiderate of them!   

Do get in touch if you’d like to discuss a commission or some tuition, I’d love to hear from you!