Lynne Russell is an artist who works with great sensitivity and passion for her subject. Born in London, she has travelled extensively drawing inspiration from her time in Africa, India and especially Central America. After studying art foundation at Goldsmiths College, she undertook a BA in fine art at Wimbledon School of Art (taught by Maggi Hambling and Bernard Cohen).

At Wimbledon she won the student union prize for her painting ‘Home sweet home’ (Oil on canvas - 5'6" x 8'). This painting was accepted for the ICA’s Young Contemporaries Exhibition (1982) where it won the Windsor & Newton prize for painting.

Lynne studied Post-Grad illustration at St Martin’s School of Art. Her work was seen by publishers Heinemann who asked her to illustrate her first picture book entitled ‘One Smiling Grandma’. This book was nominated for the Kate Greenway award, was on the SATs official reading list for two consecutive years and exhibited in the Society of Illustrators ‘Best of Children's Book Illustration’ exhibition held in New York.

Training:

Goldsmith University- Art Foundation   
Wimbledon School of Art - BA- Fine Art Degree
St. Martin’s School of Art - Postgraduate- Illustration
ILEA - Tutor - Arts and Crafts
Haringey Council & Freeform Artworks - Mural Painter

Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers 2016

Awarded Freedom of the City 2017

Joined the Guild of Freemen 2018

Exhibitions include:

ICA ‘New Contemporaries’ – The Mall
Southwark Cathedral
All Hallows By-the-Tower
The Covent Garden Gallery
Illustrators Gallery, Soho, London and New York
Alternative Arts Gallery, Soho and Marylebone, London
Café Pacifico – Covent Garden
Na Bolom museum San Cristobal de las casas Mexico
The Alchemy Gallery – Farringdon
Battersea Contemporary Art Fair
Wandsworth Artists Open
Artfusion Gallery, Miami –during Art Basel
Hotel Urbano Miami
The Grange Hotel, St Paul’s
WH Patterson gallery Mayfair - Venice-in-peril exhibition
Painters Hall Annual exhibitions 2016 & 2017 with the Painter-Stainers
Livery Company

Published Picture Books:

‘One Smiling Grandma’   -  Heinemann (UK), Dial (USA)
‘Api & The Boy Stranger’ -  Dial (USA)
‘Big Mama and Grandma Ghana’  -  Scholastic (USA)
‘Neka Goes to Market’ -  Heinemann International
‘Three Wise Women’  -  Francis Lincoln (UK), Phylis Fogleman (USA)
‘The Summer House’  -  Dorling Kindersley
‘The Town’  -  Heinemann International

Prizes, Nominations and Residencies:

Student Union Prize for Painting, Wimbledon School of Art
Winsor and Newton Prize for Painting, Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall
AOL Annual Exhibition
‘One Smiling Grandma’: Nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award, On the S.A.t.s reading list for two years. Chosen for ‘The Best of Illustration’ Exhibition, New York, USA
Artist in Residence, Na Bolom Cultural Museum, San Cristóbal de-las-casas, Chiapas, S. Mexico
Other Clients include: 
British Airways
The Mail on Sunday
IPC Magazines-various
Kingfisher Books
London Electricity Board (Leicester Square Murals)
Felix Films and Bermuda Shorts (Animation Artwork)
Royal Caribbean Cruise Holidays (Nationwide advertising campaign)
Penguin UK & Penguin USA
Oxford University Press
Cambridge University Press
Scholastic UK
Cafe Pacifico Amsterdam
World Wildlife Fund & One World Vision
Private Portrait commissions and Paintings 2005-2015