New Departure

Pippa Darbyshire

Pippa is British. She was born in Malaysia in 1951. Her Scottish father was an officer in the Royal Marines, so she spent her formative years travelling the world and always lived close to the sea. After a first career in dance and then having 2 children she went to Ipswich Art School at the age of 40 and then to a degree at Norwich Art School.

After that she had immediate success exhibiting in Suffolk, London and France. She opened a galerie and small private art school in Felixstowe in Suffolk and at the same time taught life drawing on the degree course at Suffolk College under the direction of her revered tutor Ken Back .

In 2001, Pippa with her husband Peter moved to France where they opened their second art gallery and cafe in Noyelles-sur-Mer where Pippa showed her own work. It became extremely well known with clients coming from all over Northern Europe: Belgium, Holland, Germany , Brittain and many from Paris. For 20 years she exhibited almost exclusively there, enjoying her independence and contact with her clients.

Pippa and Peter have now bought a flat in Margate in England, the views from which have been the inspiration for this series. They have kept a cottage in Noyelles in France where she has her main studio so she will be working and exhibiting on both sides of the channel.