Artist in Residence – Amanda Davidson

Another career direction led to working with a London interior designer painting wall murals and an architect creating marble effects for Pushkin House renovations in Holburn. Also for Liberty’s window display. Also teaching art skills in her local community centre in Rottingdean. An opportunity arose to open her own art shop and gallery which inturn led to organising The Grange Art Gallery from 2010-15.

Then chance meetings with some local puppetry creators led to some very interesting collaborations, culminating in a 6month Artist Residency ‘The Art of Puppetry’ at Hove Museum and Art Gallery in 2017.

Amanda has returned to illustrating and writing with her new book ‘Bye, Bi-Polar Bear’ in 2021 as well as taking on portrait commissions in oils in large, narrative themed paintings.

As a regular visitor to Prairie Gardens with many of her Art students over the years, and inspired by the tranquility of drawing in the beautiful gardens, Amanda approached Pauline and Paul with a proposal for their exhibition barn. To tell the story of her Dad’s life. A father who died when she was only 7yrs old but left an unfathomable gap in her life. A man who travelled the world during a unique period, from 1925-33 on a luxury cruise liner as ships gardener and florist. What transpired on the lead up to WW11 and his escape from Nazi Germany to England, and his creation of ‘Tropical Plants Display Ltd’ in London.

And so ‘My Dad, the Tropical Plants Man’ became Amanda’s ‘lockdown’ project. An exhibition told in paintings, illustrations and family anecdotes.