About the Artist

Lois Sykes was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As an art student in the States, she painted in a figurative style, then at Atelier Goetz in Paris her exposure to abstract painting led her in a different direction. Today, she combines the elements of figurative and abstract with animal subjects in a contemporary setting.

While she readily acknowledges a wealth of influences, Lois' own idiosyncratic art defies easy categorization. Her subjects - whether a sheep or a cat or chicken - have things to say. They pulse with ideas. Words won't work, but art can bridge the gap. Sykes has said, "I often create a scene in my mind that pushes me further than just painting a dog or cat, there is a narrative lurking somewhere, a suggestion of a story". Colour also features prominently in her work as a signifier of mood and vitality. She aims to capture the idiosyncratic nature of the animal, usually with gentle humour. 

Sykes has always been interested in animals and has drawn and painted them since childhood. Currently she lives on a smallholding in Surrey, England, with her husband and a special cat, as well as a plethora of chickens, ducks, horses and ponies. They have all featured in paintings as well as her neighbours' sheep, pigs and cattle.