Spotlight on artist Lizzie Sky Hall who has a studio in the Old Parcels Office Artspace at Scarborough Railway Station

Lizzie moved to Scarborough three years ago and settled in quickly, finding herself a shared studio space in the Old Parcels Office and joining the collaborative of artists and makers at the shop in the foyer at the Stephen Joseph Theatre.

After starting her art training at Epsom Art School, Lizzie studied theatre design at Croydon College.

From there she worked as an apprentice milliner with the film and theatre hatter Jane Smith.

This led to her work being featured on the front cover on the Sunday Times Magazine, Vogue, The Alternative Clothes Show, West End shows and Covent Garden Royal Ballet performances.

Through her work as a theatre hatter, Lizzie graduated into costume design and the construction of the signature bright and exaggerated comic costumes for the touring commedia dell’arte troupe, The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company.

Always keen to learn new skills and try out new art forms Lizzie went on to spend a year at the Royal School of Needlework studying Textile Design.

She also had a go at turning her hand to dance and performance art.

It was while studying fine art as a mature student at Central St Martins, part of University of the Arts London, Lizzie discovered her talent for painting.

Lizzie said: “Looking back I was so lucky to have the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people in so many different creative industries but once I started painting I knew there was no going back.”

It’s not surprising then, that since graduating in 2006 Lizzie has chosen to focus on painting.

Working with oil paint on stretched canvas, her works are characterised by her striking and joyous use of colour and reoccurring themes of dogs, cats and domestic interiors.

Lizzie also enjoys an occasional delve into portraiture, life drawing and landscapes but even these are given the Lizzie colour treatment.

Lizzie said “ Colour and graphic line are the most important elements in my paintings.

" I love work by artists such as Matisse, Bonnard, Picasso and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

"There are hints at elements from their paintings in my own work but mostly I work from my own imagination.

"I’m always striving for something which is vibrant and original.”

Lizzies’ work has been shown in galleries across the UK and features in a number of private collections.

She is regularly commissioned to make work for admirers of her unique, colourful style of painting.

As well as her original oil paintings some of Lizzie Halls’ work is also available as prints

There will be an opportunity to meet Lizzie Sky Hall and see around her art studio at the next Old Parcels Office open studios on Saturday March 18.

The Old Parcels Office Artspace will host its next exhibition – the pick of entries for its ‘open competition’ later this month.

The exhibition will be free to view.