TONI WATTS is an internationally-recognised illuminator, and one of the few artists still using traditional manuscript gilding skills. She creates new work using age-old techniques and hand-prepared, natural materials. These include mineral and earth pigments, plant pigments from her garden, traditional handcrafted inks, vellum, 24-carat gold leaf and gemstones such as sapphires and emeralds. She specialises in manuscript illumination, but also draws with metalpoint and paints in egg tempera. Toni has had a diverse career – she worked for over twenty years as a doctor while pursuing a career as an award-winning wildlife artist. She then gained a master’s degree in art history, which sparked an interest in medieval manuscripts and the trade in pigments. This led to a year (2015-16) as artist-in-residence at Lincoln Cathedral, where she had the opportunity both to study its collection of manuscripts and create a new body of work. She now runs national and international workshops on manuscript illumination.
