Gus

Artists own cat and muse, Gus style inspired by Charleston Farmhouse, Bloomsbury group. Gus is a very timid gentle soul and always sleeping in the corners of the studio.

Oil on panel.

Dimensions: 39 x 39 x 4 cm.

Vanessa has painted all her life, inspired by the world around her and particularly by her lifelong love of cats. Growing up on a farm, she was surrounded by farm and wild cats. Today, her own beloved felines, together with shelter, neighbourhood and friends’ cats, continue to inspire her work. She creates characterful oil paintings, fascinated by the shapes cats make — a curled back, sweeping tail, tucked paws or a long stretch in the sunshine. Quick, wet brushstrokes, washes and layers of unexpected colour build texture, movement and personality. Alongside cats, Vanessa paints wild meadows, landscapes and seascapes, drawn to changing light, colour and atmosphere. Whether painting an animal or a landscape, she aims to capture something felt as much as seen. Vanessa has exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition four times between 2020 and 2026, with two selected and sold works being cat paintings.