Biography

Christine Southworth SWA MAFA

Christine Southworth SWA MAFA is an established British portrait artist whose career spans education, exhibition, and prestigious private commissions.

Her artistic journey began early when, at the age of fifteen, she was awarded a scholarship to study Fine Art at Bolton College of Art. Her training included etching, lithography, drawing, and painting, providing a strong classical foundation that continues to underpin her work today.

Alongside developing her own practice, Southworth pursued a long and respected career in art education, eventually becoming Head of Art at Bolton School Boys’ Division. Throughout these years she continued to paint and exhibit widely across England and Canada, steadily building a reputation for her powerful portrait and figurative work.

Southworth is an active member of the Society of Women Artists and the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts. Her work has received numerous accolades, including the Barbara Tate Award at the Mall Galleries and the Society of Women Artists Best Body of Work Award. Her paintings have also been featured on the cover of the SWA annual catalogue.

Among her most notable commissions is a figurative painting of girls from a local nursery doing little ballet moves created for the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

Today Southworth works primarily in charcoal and oil paint, focusing on figurative work created from life. Her paintings favour natural, unforced poses, capturing quiet moments with clarity and presence.

Working on large prepared canvases allows a physical freedom that is central to her approach. Many paintings begin with drawing from the model before developing through a considered design process that may take several months to complete. The early stages are often created in energetic bursts, with large areas of paint laid down quickly, before the work gradually evolves as the composition is refined.

Her inspiration often comes from people close to her, including family and friends, although she also works with professional models. With a deep interest in human anatomy, her work frequently explores the female figure, producing paintings that are both structurally informed and emotionally expressive.

The resulting works are large, powerful and dynamic, combining strong draughtsmanship with an energetic painterly approach.

Working from the North of England, Christine Southworth continues to develop a body of work that reflects both her classical training and her personal response to the human form.