Elaine Pamphilon

Elaine Pamphilon is a painter and harpist dividing her talents equally between these two creative areas. She studied the harp with David Watkins, principal harpist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and in Paris with Solange Renie-Siguret. After obtaining a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music she received lessons from the famous Welsh harpist Ossian Ellis. She started to paint in the mid 1980's at Homerton College, Cambridge where she studied under Kay Melzi.

In Elaine's painting the vibrant colour, bold formal design and sensitive line gain their inspiration from the rich visual environment of her home with its collections of found objects and also from the world of music and literature. She often adds elements of collage or other media to her clear confident use of watercolour and acrylic.

With a house and studio in St. Ives, she enjoys drinking coffee sitting on the slate step, and taking in the view looking down over the bay. Living high on the hill, Elaine loves the 'house by the sea' feeling in paintings with distant views of boats, sea and shorelines and close up detail of flowers on a table, pebbles and shells, with favourite cups, mugs and bowls. She works on canvas, board and paper using mixed media to create the line and surface that is necessary.

She loves walking along the cliffs and sea paths, observing the changing light of sea and sky. This is a strong influence on how Elaine paints.