Fiona Odle was born in St Andrews, Scotland, but grew up beside the River Nidd in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, where she is now based. She graduated with a BA (Hons) in Art & Design at Leeds Metropolitan University in 2000, quickly followed by an Adult Teaching Certificate.  Over the years, Fiona has developed a diverse set of skills and techniques. Working predominantly in painting and drawing, she has moved from miniature to large-scale, landscape to portraiture; figurative to abstract. 

 

In 2019, Fiona launched a new studio, Briggate Art, in the heart of Knaresborough. Since its inception, she has hosted regular art classes whilst producing new series inspired by North Yorkshire landscapes.  These bright, abstracted works utilise acrylics in new ways, playing with colour, texture and materiality to transform recognisable landscapes. Fiona builds layers of paint intuitively with unexpected tools – discarded signs, old credit cards, knife edges, metal, mesh and relief fabrics create innovative mark-making and textures. Fiona pushes the boundaries of process, exploring composition and balance in bold and visceral ways. 

 

Fiona has displayed work in the UK’s most visited Heritage sites and National Trust locations including the Tower of London, Stonehenge, York Minster, Castle Howard, Harewood House, Winchester Cathedral, Bath Abbey, Salisbury Cathedral and Bath Abbey. She has also exhibited in a number of galleries and prestigious festivals with a prominent focus on North Yorkshire, including Mercer Gallery, Harrogate; FEVA festival and Nidd Art Trail, Knaresborough; and Open Studios. She has also participated in a number of the UK’s largest trade shows – with admissions reaching over 70,000 – such as Top Drawer, London; NEC Spring Fair, Birmingham; and Harrogate Trade Gift Fair.