About

Ilona Russell is a painter based in London. After graduating in Performance Costume from Edinburgh College of Art, she completed a course in traditional drawing at the Royal Drawing School in London in 2015 before establishing her painting studio.

Her paintings represent a moment in time, capturing a feeling experienced during the act of creation. Working intuitively, she explores abstraction through composition, colour and line, allowing each painting to evolve until it reaches a point that feels resolved.

Some works emerge over the course of a few hours, while others develop across several sittings, requiring distance and reflection before returning with fresh insight.

Russell's practice is rooted in developing an awareness of the inner world of thoughts and feelings. The process of painting often becomes a state of flow, where intuition leads and unexpected marks or perceived mistakes become opportunities to take the work in new directions.

She works directly with the materiality of paint, embracing its physical qualities and the varied textures created through different brushes, palette knives and other implements. Whether using diluted paint with dry, large brushes to bring softness or layering thicker applications with a palette knife, her process remains responsive, balancing spontaneity with careful observation.

All pieces are original and available on request. Enquire about a work.