Keith Tilley

I come from an artistic family and I have always had an interest in art of various kinds. My mother was a painter and art restorer, and I learnt a lot from watching her work. However, she used oils and my preference was for watercolour, so I taught myself to use the medium. I studied the techniques of the masters, and in the process I learnt a lot about the history of watercolour art. For a time my painting was confined to weekends, while I worked for a decade in agricultural research. However, I found that unsatisfying and I felt that I wanted to work for myself. At first I got involved in art dealing, but as I found that I could sell increasingly more of my artwork, I took the decision to become a full-time artist.

I grew up in the south of England, but my mother was Scottish, which gave me a love of Scotland and its landscapes. I now live in Caithness, and my studio is on the edge of the wild and open Flow Country. I have shown my work throughout the Highland area, and have buyers from the UK, USA and Europe. Since 2007, I have exhibited with the Society of Caithness Artists. In the first year I was fortunate to attract the attention of His Majesty King Charles III. Since then the King has become a regular patron and has built a large collection of my paintings at the Castle of Mey.