Grief is a universal pathway, which we all tread at some point in our lives. But I would like to think that these are paintings of joy

When we lost our beloved daughter Maddy to cancer in 2023, my diaries evolved into a dialogue with her. These illustrated letters became a way of processing almost unbearable grief and of beginning the slow work of healing.

My solo exhibition in Seoul was entitled Love Letters. The show contained many paintings in which I actually wrote into the canvas before painting. The words, the images and the emotions became one.

At first this felt very exposing, but I began to receive countless messages from people telling me how much the images had helped them to come to terms with their own loss and grief. Grief is a universal pathway, which we all tread at some point in our lives. But I would like to think that these are paintings of joy – they celebrate the 35 years we shared as mother and daughter, and my unshakeable belief that Maddy remains close, in a parallel world of light and colour.

EFA: Family has been central to your creative life.  Alongside raising your family with your husband Laurence, you have written and illustrated over 200 children's books together.  How has your own painting practice developed alongside family life and work over the years?

CA: We were incredibly fortunate to stumble into publishing when our own children were very small. It provided us with a great living and a wonderful way of using our creativity whilst working from home. Our children were intimately involved with the process, and Laurence is still creating his own books – most recently a gorgeous anthology of his self-illustrated tales about great artists called Small Stories of Great Artists, published by Taschen.

In between projects, I maintained my own painting practice without any pressure to follow any specific path. I don’t really differentiate between the two practices; creativity is very fluid. But when the children left home, I made the decision to return full-time to painting in my studio in Devon.

Family is everything to us. Our eldest daughter Claire has worked at a senior level at the UN, focussing on the effects of climate change. Our son, Tom Anholt, is an artist in Berlin, and he also used his work to bring meaning to the tragic loss of his twin sister Maddy. Laurence and I also have five grandchildren, who are like precious jewels in our lives.

There is a rhythm and continuity in nature. The seasons reflect the ever-unfolding cycle of life, and no matter what madness is acting out on the world stage

EFA: Nature plays a major role within your work, acting as a source of solace and healing from which to draw strength.  What do nature and your surrounding landscape mean to you? Are the scenes you portray based on real places or imagined?

CA: I grew up surrounded by fields, woods and winding lanes. Landscape and nature are hugely important to me, and I am fortunate now to live and work overlooking the sea in East Devon.

Each day I walk the ancient pathways around our home, imagining the many people and animals who have trodden the same route over the centuries. It’s as if our lives converge in this activity.

There is a rhythm and continuity in nature. The seasons reflect the ever-unfolding cycle of life, and no matter what madness is acting out on the world stage, this contact with the natural world brings harmony and stability to my mind.

Although I don’t use direct sketches, the landscapes I paint are based on these walks. It is my physical experience and memory of places that evolves as the image unfolds.