Astrig obtained a Degree in Ceramics from the Central School of Art and Design, London. From there she went on to sell her ceramics through a number of galleries and shops around the country and internationally. Her ceramics were decorated with animals, wild and domestic and full of colour.
After a number of years selling ceramics a career change saw her moving into the film industry and for the next 27 years she worked as a freelance painter and art finisher, working in the Creature Effects Departments locally and on location with the Jim Henson Creature Shop. Following these years, Astrig moved to Cambridge and now concentrates fully on painting, working from her garden studio.
"My painting style has evolved gradually through experimenting with a huge variety of media. I love life drawing and use these ongoing sessions to develop my understanding of human anatomy, using many different materials including, pastels, inks, charcoal and collage.”
“For the last few years my painting focus has been landscapes and particularly allotments. I love these places as they are worlds in themselves. They are very quirky and so personal. I have a personal love of gardening, growing vegetables and flowers and worked for a garden designer for a number of years. Allotments are optimistic spaces, full of promise and hope, year in year out.”
“In my most recent work I have found myself, unconsciously, returning to older themes. As well as allotments and figures, animals have been appearing in my paintings and my work has taken on a more narrative quality.”
“I mostly work on wooden panels as I like the tough surface which allows me to layer and scratch back the acrylic paint. I prefer to work in a series, moving initially swiftly from panel to panel, slowing down and becoming more considered as the pieces reach their conclusions. Each painting gradually reveals its own story. I enjoy this process and its unpredictability. My recurring themes are to do with the relationships that we have with the earth and other living creatures and the deep connections that grow between us. Cultivating the soil, growing food and looking after animals are some of the fundamentals of life. All of these elements are coming together naturally for me now in these paintings. It is essential for me that I express these loves with the joy that they bring to me.”