About Maggie
Maggie Izzard is a portait artist and painter who grew up in the village of Audlem in the countryside of south Cheshire. After completing her BA (hons) in Graphic Design at Manchester Metropolitan University she established and managed a graphic design business in London for many years, working in publishing and marketing in the art and antique field, taking a strong interest in art, later studying printing but then deciding to leave the marketing and graphic design area. After a career change she has taught herself portrait painting, also attending art courses at Heatherley’s and St. Martins where she learned the techniques involved in oil painting, admiring other artists’ styles both in modern and more traditional portraits and developing her own style and confidence.
Her work as a portrait painter has been exhibited at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, the Mall Galleries in London, Keele University and other more local exhibitions. She paints children’s or family portraits and portraits of people in business or university figures, law and government, medicine, society members, industrial figures, religion and portraits of public figures such as High Sheriffs or other appointed people.
A painted portrait is getting to be evermore popular and makes an ideal tribute for someone ending a term of office or retiring. Portraits can be painted in order to raise funds for national charities and the not-for-profit market which she is happy to discuss with a representative.
She is a portrait artist available for commissions throughout the UK and in the local areas of Cheshire and the North West to include Manchester, Liverpool and the counties of Lancashire, Cumbria and the West Midlands. She prefers to hold a sitting in the client's home or professional environment when time allows, encouraging a more relaxed and natural feel to the portrait. The opportunity to have a portrait painted is available to everybody, be it formal or informal, private, business or public figures and she is happy to discuss a commission enquiry with you.
More details are explained in the sections about commissions and sittings. Please go the commissions or pricing pages.
In her paintings she works with a natural, true to life style which expresses a person’s individuality and personality. She says “I convey in each portrait those special individual essences that belong to the sitter, capturing those recognisable characteristics. I find each portrait inspiring and fascinating and nobody will feel self conscious about having a portrait painted.”
Education
- 2008. Mainly self taught in portrait painting, attending courses at Heatherley’s and St. Martins College of Art.
- 1999. Post Graduate in Printing, University of the Arts, London.
- 1979. BA (hons) Graphic Design, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Exhibitions
- 2012. The Prize exhibition at RBSA.
- 2011. The All Media exhibition at RBSA.
- 2011. The Friends Exhibition at RBSA.
- 2010. Nantwich People exhibition at Nantwich Museum.
- 2009. Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.
- 2009. Keele University.
- 2009. Art Liberating Lives, Mall Galleries, London.
- 2008. Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.
- 2008. Nantwich Art Fair.