Meet the Artist: Beth Kaye

There’s something quietly special about following the creative journey of someone you’ve known from the early days. Beth Kaye once worked with us at Mon Pote, back when she was living in Bristol and exploring different creative paths. Today, she’s an artist based in South East Cornwall, painting evocative interior scenes from her home studio and we’re thrilled to now be sharing her work in a new way.

Beth’s paintings are small in scale but full of atmosphere. With her thoughtful use of colour, light and composition, she captures moments that feel both familiar and dreamlike, scenes that invite you to slow down, reflect, and imagine yourself within them.

We’re so happy to stock her collection of prints, and to share more about the journey that brought her here.

Hi Beth! We’re so excited to be sharing your beautiful, atmospheric prints with our community. Where are you currently based? Can you tell us a little bit about your studio space?

My studio space is in my home in South East Cornwall. My partner and I moved back to my home village a year ago, leaving Bristol after almost 10 years. We have always renovated our homes as we live in them and this one is no exception, it's been quite the building site this year! My studio is my little place of safety. The walls were already painted white, and there is a beautiful view down to the local river and across the valley from the window. More importantly I also have a portable heater, mini electric blanket and have made a dust barrier along the bottom of the door. The walls of the studio are covered in my photography and inspiration.

Your work has a lovely sense of calm. What’s a typical day like for you as a professional artist, and how do you maintain that peaceful energy in your work? Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get in the zone?

When I'm in the zone I can paint for hours and days in a row. I'm a caffeine addict so I'll always have a hot drink with me, usually I put on the radio, NTS is my current fave, or sometimes I'll just work in silence, but I always set the scene by lighting a candle and/or incense.

I can however be quite all or nothing with my painting. If I'm feeling really stuck and have nothing I'm working on I'll make up a new batch of my canvas boards. It's a great way to feel productive, whilst giving time to think. There's endless potential in a black canvas!

I don't currently work as a full time artist, I also work part time in collections care (conservation) at the National Trust and the house renovation is almost a full time job! I love being able to split up my time and have flexibility and variety in my week.

We’d love to hear a bit about your creative journey! How did you get started with painting these intimate, small-scale spaces?

I started painting in 2020, so lockdown and furlough times. Since graduating in 2013 I had worked for small creative businesses in Bristol (Mon Pote being one of them!), often in product photography. I rented a studio space at Hamilton House with little plan other than thinking I might work on some wallpaper and fabric designs, as my degree is in textile design. I just went there everyday. I was looking through art books, making attempts at sketchbooking (never been a natural sketchbook keeper, I'm much more scrappy) and then I turned to my photos from previous travels and found a bit of inspiration.

I think I always had an inkling in the back of my mind that I'd like to paint. I'd been on a short course at the RWA to try out oils and had tried out a couple of larger scale oil paintings but it wasn't until I worked on a couple of tiny canvas boards that I'd picked up in a sale, that it all clicked into place. Something about that small scale just made the little interior scenes I'd chosen to paint so much more intriguing to me. They became like portals to another place. I've worked on a small scale ever since.

In 2022 I enrolled on a year long course at the Newlyn School of Art called Studio Practice which was held over 6 weekends, so every 2 months. This really helped me to pick up some techniques, being mostly self taught, and to refine my work.

Where do you find inspiration for your paintings? Are they based on specific places you’ve visited, or are they more about feelings and memories?

I have a mixture of influences but mostly I take photos of interiors all the time. Homestays and Airbnbs whilst travelling, the homes of friends and family, historic houses, even on house viewings with estate agents. I did use a lot of film photography but now I have a beautiful fuji film digital camera that works like an analogue film camera. It's still important to me to get them printed out. I have a whole stack of photos to work from and flick through for ideas.

I also collect objects and homeware that I include in my paintings. Occasionally I will style a shoot and work from that.

There will usually be a bit of a mood or moment going on in the image or in my memory of the room. I'll go with the feeling and exaggerate it by paring back the image and playing with colour and light. I'll often combine elements from different images, curating the spaces. I work all this out in rough sketches before I paint.

You use a broad range of colours across your paintings. What draws you to certain colours or objects when you're creating?

I'm completely colour obsessed. You should see how many paint samples I have for my house! and I'm no different with my art painting.

I love observing how light affects colours, the different shades in light and shadow. Also how combining colours creates tension and vibration. Sometimes I'll just get a colour in my head and find a way to work it in with some of my reference images. There's a certain clarity with some colours that draws me in for sure. I often use an almost neon colour as a base to make the colours I layer on top glow.

I really recommend the Japanese book 'A Dictionary of Color Combinations'.

Often I'm drawn to painting objects that have either some transparency or shiny surfaces, which work to highlight the painting and give it some magic.

We love how your work feels like an invitation to pause and reflect. Is there a particular emotion or mood you hope your paintings bring out in those who see them?

I'm so glad that that comes across. I like to think of my work as a place for daydreaming. By stripping the scenes back so they are quite simple I hope the viewer can place themselves there and escape the world.

Your work gives off such a lovely ‘homey’ vibe. What does the idea of ‘home’ mean to you, and how do you bring that feeling into your artwork?

I'm drawn to interiors and homes. I often paint beds, basins, mirrors and mantle pieces, as well as the particular objects people choose to display. I like how we make almost sacred little spaces, or alters within our homes.

Any favourite places/spots/cafes/galleries from your time living in Bristol? 

Ohh there's a lot I miss about Bristol. You really are spoilt for choice.

I love attending open studio events - BV Studios, Jamaica Street Studios and Spike are always good. And I love the annual Open Exhibition at RWA.

My favourite day out is a rummage at Cheddar Car Boot or Shepton Mallet Flea Market.

It can be much harder to find good coffee in Cornwall so I miss having Loaf at the end of my street and of course Tin Can Coffee from my time working at Mon Pote!

Some foodie spots I love are... Sonny Stores, Sundial Kitchen, and Dough Heads in BS5 (they make a tartiflette pizza that I think about all the time).

Can you share with us some career highlights of 2024 and things you're looking forward to this year?

2024 was my big move to Cornwall and exhibiting with new Cornish galleries, Milieu in St. Ives, and Hweg in Penzance as well as showing my work at Form Art Fair in Falmouth have made me feel part of the art community here, meeting so many lovely people along the way.

Where can we find your work? Do you have any exhibitions or shows coming up you'd like to share?

You can currently find my original artwork online with Domenica Marland , at Union Street in Stroud and Kobi and Teal  in Frome. You can of course find a selection of my prints with Mon Pote and more on my website.

I'm currently working towards a show at the Exchange in Newlyn, starting on 5th September 2025. 

Beth Kaye’s collection is now available online and in-store! Explore more of her stunning works on her Instagram and online portfolio. We're so grateful to have her beautiful creations with us!