Born in Hampshire, Dear and her parents spent much of the artist's childhood in foreign locations such as the Far East and South Africa. Growing up was a happy time for Dear, particularly as her parents were free spirited whilst having strong family ethics. Returning to England when Dear was just six, she attended local school whilst spending many a day happily playing outdoors with her brother
Born in Hampshire, Dear and her parents spent much of the artist's childhood in foreign locations such as the Far East and South Africa. Growing up was a happy time for Dear, particularly as her parents were free spirited whilst having strong family ethics. Returning to England when Dear was just six, she attended local school whilst spending many a day happily playing outdoors with her brother and sister.
Coming from quite an artistic family, her grandfather would design signs along the signs of buses, whilst his artistic skills were passed down to Dear's mother, who simply loved to paint pretty floral designs, birds, butterflies and was keen to make the interior of their home as artistic as possible. Dear took an instant shine to creating and it was greatly encouraged that many an evening would be spent at the kitchen table, taking part in various crafts with a range of material to stir her creative energy.
Dear's next move was to leave home to study fashion at Medway College of Art and Design, yet her need for adventure and her travels as a child stirred up old emotions and so she and her boyfriend, at the age of twenty one, bought a Bedford ambulance, painted it up and began their travels around Europe and North Africa.
Planning on returning home, it wasn't until 1987. The couple had purchased a three month return ticket to India, yet remained abroad for a further seven years! The adventure and need to explore in Dear was ever present and South East Asia and Australia was her next stop. It was when the artist travelled to Sydney, that the couple called this place their home and Dear began work for Lego, Australia as a Exhibition Designer.
Returning to the UK in 1993, Dear brought over her greatest asset, her daughter and began to embark on full time education. Now living in Totnes, Devon, Dear has been working as a professional artist for several years since graduating from University College Chichester, 1998 and has exhibited in Sydney, London and the US.
Influences of the artist are Japanese art, more recently Takashi Murakami and the feelings of Egon Shille in his own nudes. Expressing feelings, smells, emotions are essential to Dear's practice and her work is laced with decorative marks made which have all been influenced by Disney, Paul Morrison, Jeff Koons, Lisa Yuskavage.
Colour, vibrancy, energetic marks are all essential to the artist's practice and her work continues to grow ever successful within today's contemporary market.
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