Flying Blue

Born in London in 1991, Josie Appleby was educated at Watford Grammar School for Girls and later attended ‘Instituto Marangoni’ - one of the most credible fashion schools in Europe. She was offered an internship at British luxury Fashion House, Alexander McQueen, after just her first year of a graduate degree. Growing up, she found solace in the care and company of horses, and in refining her craft creating portraits and commissions, which were greatly received by the equestrian community.
“Horses have not only inspired me but have taught me so many lessons that cross over into my art. The sensitivity, confidence, skill, patience, and passion are all things that I have learnt from the horses and in turn are reflected into my art. Whilst studying for my equine sports science degree I had to dissect, draw and learn about every part of these amazing animals. So when the emotional and scientific lessons I had learnt merged, horses naturally became effortless to paint.”

Josie’s deep understanding and knowledge of the subject and her profound passion and flair for art and design is clear to see in her wonderfully atmospheric paintings. Her paintings are layered with beautiful sentimentality, and capture her adoration for the subject in a contrast of vulnerability and strength.

Art is the highest form of hope’ - Gerhard Richter
Josie says “My journey as an artist has brought me closer to understanding this quote. I paint for so many reasons that are close to my heart. Like many artists before me, my life experiences have created the person I am, which undoubtedly has had a huge effect on my art. My style has changed and developed in order for me to express myself more freely, but as I have grown my whole approach and philosophy as an artist has been shaped by the people and animals in my life. In moments of despair, love, frustration and happiness there is always lurking somewhere a glimpse of hope. This is what I try to convey into my paintings, something unexplainable that inspires your imagination. For me this is captured in moments of inspiration when your conscious and sub conscious work in perfect harmony. Art to me is a permanent reminder of hope.

The impressionist painters are my biggest influence predominantly Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne , Van Gogh and the teachings of Harold speed. I am inspired by their original techniques and philosophies about expression. I try in my paintings to capture movement as they did with bold marks using thick paint to create different depths of texture with  multiple layers.  By keeping my colours as vibrant as possible like many of the impressionists I lay each colour as a separate shape next to each other or on top of each other. The merging of traditional art and contemporary art is a balance I dance between in every painting.”