Gill Welland is a contemporary artist working between portraiture, figurative painting and abstraction — building, scraping back and reworking oil and mixed media until something unexpected emerges.
“Painting is how I speak in colour — every canvas is a person, a place, or a feeling I refused to let go quietly.”
My work explores emotion, identity and the human experience through expressive portraiture and figurative painting — the stories that exist beneath the surface, and the strength, vulnerability and resilience that shape us.
Colour and mark-making are central. I use them to communicate movement and atmosphere, creating a tension between recognisable figures and more abstract elements. I see the paintings as emotional landscapes rather than simply portraits.
03 · About
Gill's journey began with formal training in Fashion Illustration at Epsom School of Art & Design, followed by freelance illustration and a creative career that eventually brought her back to painting. After returning to the canvas in Gibraltar in 2008, she has continued to develop an increasingly personal and distinctive visual language.
Her work is driven by colour, texture and gesture. She builds and disrupts layers, often scraping back and reworking the surface until something unexpected emerges. Faces, fragments and abstract marks become emotional landscapes rather than simply representations.
Over the years, Gill has exhibited extensively across Gibraltar, Spain, the UK and internationally, with work held in private collections in Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria, the United States and beyond. Her practice continues to evolve through new series, collaborations and exhibitions.
“Painting is less about finding a perfect image and more about discovering what lies beneath it.”
Epsom School of Art & Design
Luxembourg Art Prize, Highly Commended 2024 & 2025
Six countries across three continents
Gill paints live — layers built, scraped back and reworked in real time. Follow along, ask questions, and see the works before they reach a wall.
Instagram Live48 minBuilding the first three layersLive session · replay4.2k89TikTok0:41Scraping back to find the faceProcess film38k2.1kInstagram1:12Gold leaf on wet oilStudio reel6.8k142TikTok0:28Mixing the Catalan Bay bluesColour study21k1.4kInstagram Live1 hr 06Finishing Heatwave DesireLive session · replay3.6k74TikTok0:35Summer Days, start to endProcess film54k3.9k
Original paintings, commissioned portraits and exhibition enquiries — all welcome. Studio visits by appointment in Gibraltar and Sotogrande.