Sophie Harding | Biography

Sophie was born in London in 1970. Shortly after her parents relocated to Somerset and then Dorset where she grew up, the eldest of seven. After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 1992 with a BA Hons in Fashion and Textile Design she proceeded to work full time as a painter, illustrator and textile designer creating best selling images for cards, gift wraps, homewares, magazine and book illustrations both for the UK and worldwide. Clients have included Marks and Spencer, Ladybird Books, The Art Group, Artists’s Cards Ltd and Dunoon and more recently The Cornish Bakery. Sophie’s paintings have been shown and sold in galleries around the U.K. since 1988. She was recently approached by Liberty who now stock her original paintings.

Sophie’s work is focused on simplicity, joy and harmony. Recurring themes are fruit, flowers, Cornwall Gardens, beaches and still life. Inspiration comes from Milton Avery, Matisse, Klaas Gubbels, Mary Fedden and Ken Done to name but a few. She captures small moments in life by painting the essence of a scene or group of objects. She is best described as being a colourist painter-her work is primarily driven by a passion for colour with an emphasis on the power colour has to evoke positive emotions and joy. Sophie lives in Penzance where she works in a small studio in her house, a few minutes walk from the seafront.