I'm in the Dales
Artist Statement
My work begins in the quiet, ordinary moments of my life — the places where love, serenity, and eloquence meet. Painting is my way of revealing myself, not performing. Each day I return to the studio to make a mark, to listen, to let the emotional weather of that moment take form in colour and gesture.
I am drawn to making artwork that you can feel — happiness, peacefulness, warmth, and the subtle emotional shifts that shape a day. I paint honouring what is true, creating an authentic image that others can relate to, sense, and connect with.
“I’m in the Dales” began with a simple intention: to capture and translate the beauty of the Dales into a painting. The landscape, the weather, and the atmosphere were my focus. While I was absorbed in the flow of painting, the top of my face — the rim of the hood of my coat and my eyes — appeared in the sky. A partial portrait, not intentional and not the point of the work, simply a beautiful, surprising truth that emerged during the process. Most people don’t notice it at all, and they respond to the painting for its sense of place, its energy, and its feeling. My presence sits quietly within the painting, woven gently into the atmosphere and the quiet conversation of the piece — a small nod to what I may explore more of, and where I may end up being.
My practice is rooted in clarity — the clarity that has come from choosing sobriety, choosing presence, choosing a life shaped by intention rather than obligation. The studio is where that clarity becomes visible.
My paintings hold both the patterns of the landscapes I love and the inner landscapes I move through. They are records of becoming: each piece a factual trace of where I stood emotionally on that day. I don’t chase perfection or performance. I follow connection, exploration, and the quiet authority that comes from showing up honestly.
My aim is not to impress but to invite. To offer a moment of peace. If the work resonates with you, you’ll feel it. If it doesn’t, that’s simply part of the honesty of art — some pieces speak to certain people, and others don’t. I trust that those who are meant to connect with my work will find what is authentic for them.
My practice is daily, steady, and evolving. It is shaped by love, held in serenity, and expressed with the eloquence that comes from speaking without words. Through painting, I am shaping myself — and revealing the person I am becoming.
Galleries
Upcoming Selected Exhibitions
The Platform Gallery at The Station
Solo Exhibition Fri 11th Sept - Tuesday 22nd Sept 2026 Station Yard, Richmond DL10 4LD Richmondshire, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Open Studios 2026
6th & 7th June
Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th of June
North Yorkshire Open Studios Spring Showcase Exhibition
Works are included in the Inspired by… Gallery at Danby Lodge National Park Centre:
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I’m In The Dales — original painting
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Blessed Landscape — fine‑art limited edition print
14 February – 10 May 2026
Danby Lodge National Park Centre, Danby, Whitby YO21 2NB
Past Selected Exhibitions
Solo Exhibition and Artist in Residence
Fri 6th June - Tuesday 17thJune 2025
Station Yard, Richmond DL10 4LD
Richmondshire, North Yorkshire
Galleries
Sheldon Galleries
42 Francis St, Newtownards BT23 7DN
Yard Gallery
102-104 High St, Holywood BT18 9HW
Spot on the Wall
Thursday 4th Dec - Wednesday, 14th January 2026
The Station
Station Yard
Richmond
North Yorkshire
Visiting Artist
Goosewing Studios
12th,13th and 15th November 2025
The Station
Station Yard
Richmond
North Yorkshire
The VAA Open Spaces Global Art Trail
3rd - 9th November 2025
Time: By Appointment
Venue: Virtual via Instagram
Artist Info: @thewhiteartstudio
Testimonials
Jonathan and I have admired and collected Justine’s work for 20 years. We first saw an exhibition of her work and bought several prints, which I regret now, because I wish I had bought ‘Solitaire’ as an original. Amazing energy and grace. We now own 15 Justine originals and we get soul-lifting pleasure from them every time we look at them. My most recent pieces, 'Blue Horse' and 'Love is in the Air' are in being framed at the moment and we can’t wait to get them home and on the wall. Everyone who visits our home are impressed by and comment on Justine’s art. I never tire of her work and always look forward to the next piece.
Mrs. Margo Keating
'Within any decent picture there are lots of key relationships between foreground and background, form and colour, this tree and that person, but the most important relationship is possibly the painter's link to his or her subject. That's where you get the emotion and ultimately the meaning. You only have to think of Gainsborough's painting of his young daughters chasing a butterfly in the mid 1750's, or Constable's Salisbury Cathedral, or even Picasso and his mistresses to get the point. Justine has followed Gainsborough and painted a self-portrait with her children, but in a departure from convention she depicts herself and her nuclear family as doves, in what she calls a protection painting. Her approach to art isn't airy fairy and Justine has also included her Guinness series in the show, illustrating diffferent moments and links forged over a pint of black stuff. 'Friendship' shows two straight glasses, one slightly tilted, painted in a beautiful broad brushstrokes. This not totally still life shows the way friendship blossoms in the haziness of the first pint.'
Jane Hardy , journalist and art critic.
Excerpt from Arts Review of the Relationship Exhibition,
Belfast Telegraph, May 2010.
"Justine is one of the most exciting artists to appear on the local scene in many years. Her current series of nudes painted in a refreshingly naturalistic style demonstrates an aesthetic perception of the human form and places her high on the list of current young artists."
Brian Eakin of the Eakin Gallery, Belfast, commenting on Justine's first solo exhibition, 'The Nude Series,' inspired by Velasquez and Modigliani at Sanctuary Beauty, Belfast, in 2001.
'Justine's paintings are full of soul. Her elephant paintings transformed 'The Elephant Crossing' into a beautifully illustrated book. Each piece of art is unique and perfect to the story. Her originality and her eye for the unusual add extra layers and meaning to her art. If you are looking for a brilliant piece of artwork put a JSW painting on your wall. '
Mrs. Justine McGrath, author
The painting of Pte Derby XX1X; hangs in the anteroom of the 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiments Officers Mess, commissioned in 2013 with 50 numbered prints.
"The Mercian Regiment would just like to say what a pleasure it is to recommend Justine. She is so passionate about her art and it reflects in her work and she passes that passion onto you the customer.
Her enthusiasm for life and her art is infectious and her professionalism outstanding.
Her work is different to others out there and no matter what we asked; Justine connected herself to Pte Derby, displaying true emotion and meaning when painting.
If anyone is looking for something different in original art work or prints, just go and see her, talk to her, she is always happy to talk about art, trust me, she will draw you into her world and you will not go home disappointed."
2nd Bn Mercian Regiment
Awards
2007 Awarded a special bursary from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to attend the acclaimed National University of Ireland, Certificate in Youth Arts. She passed with first-class honours.
Programmes
Creative Visionary Programme 2024 & 2025 Alum