Alison Lilley Berrett was born in 1967 in Weston-super-Mare and spent her childhood there.

She graduated from Exeter College of Art and Design in 1991 with a degree in Fine Art. In 1994 she qualified as an Art teacher and taught at Cheney School in Oxford for three years. After taking a break to have children she then decided to pursue her creative career. She found a studio to rent in Cowley road in November 2003 and shortly afterwards her work was selected from a number of applicants for the Oxford Show held at Modern Art Oxford in February 2004. As a result of this she was awarded the Trevor Osborne prize of a solo show a at the O3 Gallery in Oxford as part of the castle heritage project. Alison works mainly with oil paints on board and pastels and charcoal on paper. This is supplemented with photographs and drawings often produced on site. Her inspiration comes essentially from nature and is the result of a passion for the colours, shapes, patterns, beauty and scale of the natural world w we live in. All the characteristics of the landscape are very important to her but she is captivated by the drama and magnificence of places like Dartmoor and the coast. The sea in its many moods has had a profound effect upon her work and she has been known to place herself in the most extreme weather conditions in order to capture the power of the wind and rain. From her enthusiasm for colour she loves to experiment with different combinations as if trying to make a new discovery. Another common theme running through her work stems from a fascination for the atmosphere and awe created by the designers and craftsmen of cathedrals and churches. They too were heavily influenced by nature and intended these majestic buildings to bring glory to God and his creation. Alison repeatedly uses expressive marks and gestures taken from the shapes and structures of this remarkable architecture. Combining all this with her imagination she produces work, which expresses her joy and w wonder of life.At present she works in a studio at the Ark-T centre, which is a community project, based at John Bunyan Baptist Church in Cowley. It is a privilege to work there with o other artists, as it is possible to help, encourage and enthuse one another.

Vivid colours and the essence of nature inform the Artist's work subliminally in a style that may remind the viewer of Patrick Heron, in this selection of Berrett's abstract paintings. The bold dynamic interactions of shapes on the canvas, made with the texture of the brush stroke still evident, links the viewer directly to the Artist's connection with the elements. Alison Lilley Berrett states she at times immerses herself in severe weather to capture the force of nature for her art. Walks in Port Meadow and Christ Church gardens are cited as more pleasant ways of gaining inspiration. Berrett beautifully translates the bright blossoms of a College garden in Summer time into an exciting abstract format. This brand new exhibiting space that is the 'O3 gallery' leads the visitor from Oxford Castle eateries through to the old prison exercise yard, via a flagstone floor and painted stone walls. At the base of the gallery's contemporary spiral steps is Berrett's earlier work. A folder containing figurative work shows a deep fascination with the sea (the Artist grew up near the coast) and evidence of great skill using charcoal to sketch portraits. Berrett displayed at the 2004 Oxford Show at Modern Art Oxford and currently works at the Ark-T Centre. Her work can be viewed online at www.alisonlilleyberrett.co.uk
A solo exhibition of abstract painting and drawings by Oxfordshire based artist A Alison Lilley Berrett will be showing at The 03 Gallery in October Working mainly with oil paints, pastels and charcoal, Nuneham Courteney based Berrett also uses

photographs and drawings as preparatory tools for working on site. Her inspiration comes essentially from nature and is the result of a passion for colours, shapes, a and patterns, found in the natural world. Her practice has been characterised by studies of landscapes; I am captivated by the drama and magnificence of places like Dartmoor and the coast. The sea in its many moods has had a profound effect upon my work and Berrett has been known to place herself in the most extreme w weather conditions in order to capture the power of the wind and rain. Berrett was born in 1967 in Weston-super-Mare and spent her childhood there. She graduated from Exeter College of Art and Design in 1991 with a degree in Fine Art. In 1994 she qualified as an Art teacher and taught at Cheney School in Oxford for three years. After taking a break to have children Berrett managed to re-establish her artistic practice in November 2003 and shortly afterwards her work was selected from a number of applicants for The Oxford Show held at Modern Art Oxford in February 2004. As a result of this she was awarded the Trevor Osborne Prize of a solo show at The 03 Gallery, Oxford Castle. At present she works in a studio at the Ark-T Centre, which is a community project, based at John Bunyan Baptist Church i in Cowley.