Ella Kilgour is a self-taught painter and portrait artist whose work combines Old Master techniques with a distinctly modern sensibility. Ella originally studied Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art, London. She carved out a diverse creative career as a designer, illustrator, and gallery curator before turning her full attention to painting.

Working primarily in oils, Ella also considers drawing intergral to her practice. Her art reflects a strong classical influence, often charged with a mix of melancholy, playfulness, and subversive humour. "I am interested in the place where Old and New worlds collide," she says, "and the ‘fuzzy edge’ between the Real and the Imagined. I store up imagery and observations – collecting moments which I find dark, joyful, funny or touching until eventually they make their way out in to painting’.

Ella's work is exhibited regularly in both the UK and Australia, where she lived for many years. She is represented by Grainger Gallery in Canberra and Glasshouse Contemporary in London. Visitors can visit the artist and her work at her open studio in the historic Hot Walls of Old Portsmouth.

In addition to her studio practice, Ella is an experienced teacher. She collaborates with fine artist Katie Munro at the Paint and Draw Atelier, where they offer instruction on the fundamentals of drawing and painting, guiding students through a combination of technique and experimentation to develop their own artistic voice.