Ghosts of Resilience: Painting the Unseen
© 2025 Dora Williams “Fading into Silence” (detail)
Newest series of paintings created in 2025.
My work begins in silence. A blank canvas, a breath, a gesture. From these quiet beginnings, I build paintings that explore identity, visibility, and emotional resilience—often through the lens of the female figure.
I start each piece with loose, intuitive marks. There’s no roadmap—just movement, instinct, and response. These initial gestures form the emotional groundwork for what comes next: layers of paint, drawing, erasure, and translucent washes. Over time, figures begin to emerge—sometimes clearly, sometimes barely—shifting in and out of focus like memories, like ghosts.
This process mirrors the themes I’m drawn to. I think a lot about presence and disappearance, about the ways we’re seen or not seen, especially as women. Marginalisation often feels like erasure—subtle, quiet, but deeply felt. In my work, that erasure becomes part of the narrative. The partially obscured figure, the dissolving form—they reflect complex emotional states: solitude, vulnerability, strength.
My palette tends toward softness. Muted tones and transparent layers invite closeness, asking the viewer to lean in. These quiet surfaces carry weight. They’re not about loud declarations, but about endurance. About showing up, even in silence.
There’s strength in fragility. And there’s connection in stillness. My hope is that these paintings become spaces of recognition—where viewers can see something of themselves, something honest, something held.
In a world that often demands boldness to be noticed, I choose to honor what’s nearly invisible. Because even in disappearance, there is presence. And even in solitude, there is resilience.
Online Reception & Exhibit: ARTISTIC VOICES Saturday, 17th May 2025
I’ve been working on a new series of paintings, alongside several other talented artists.
My work and I will be featured on Saturday, May 17th, during the Online Reception for The Artistic Voices Exhibit. This event celebrates the multi-layered process artists undergo to create a new series of work that expresses their artistic voices
During the reception,18 artists (including me) will be interviewed in short segments, while a selection of our artwork will be displayed on screen.
I hope you can join me for this exciting event!
Register now at: https://www.createanyway.today/register
Once you register, you’ll receive details about attending and the replay of the event.
Live Online Reception: Saturday, May 17th 2025
PT: 10 am - 12 pm
MT: 11 am - 1 pm
CT: 12 pm - 2 pm
ET: 1 pm - 3 pm
BST: 6 pm - 8 pm
Coming up....
Cheltenham Open Studio June 7th -15th 2025
You can visit the interactive guide book here
Classes on Printing without the Press
10 weeks course to explore Printing with the Gelli plate and how to use the prints to make something else.
For ALL LEVEL ABILITIES the course is for anyone who is keen on experimenting and being creative.
You will choose how you would like to use your prints by learning how to make:
Collage - Artist Books - Starting a journal/sketchbook - A
mixed media artwork? Or something else we haven’t thought yet?…. The possibilities are endless…
starting FRIDAY January 12th 2024 And every FRIDAY until 15th March 2024 From 9.30am to 12.00pm
At the AVENUE, KEW IN THE MEETING ROOM.
Small class Max 5 people Cost of 10 classes £200 - payable 5 classes upfront. The remaining 5 payable at beginning of week #6 (16 Feb 2024)
Register by contacting Dora Williams at dorabellaw@gmail.com or 07427 426 641
Basic Materials are included. If you have any questions please contact Dora on the above email address.
More details about the course will be given with registration.
Private art lesson
I offer One to one art lesson tailored to individual need to improve art skills or to beginners.
for me art always should be fun. the time spent to make art should be special and precious. Making art is liberating, is fulfilling and personal.
Please email me if interested through the contact form
example of past classes
Moving to London, returning where it feels home to me.
After 19 years I am returning to London where I lived for a long time, London Is what my heart calls it home.
A new beginning for new work and a new life.
Art Classes
Art Classes
6 weeks experimental and explorative art tuitions to stimulate your creativity. Starting October 2018, please contact me to enquire.
Last days for final project for the MFA (master fine art) degree at the University of Gloucestershire
After a week spent working in the humongous space at the university' studios, I feel I have made good progress for this final project. Now thinking of ideas on definition and architectural installations... to be continued....
WORCESTERSHIRE OPEN STUDIO AUG.25TH-27TH 2018
Looking forward to welcome new and old visitor at my studio for the 2018 open studio event. Lots of work to view and new abstract work which has been elaborated during my master degree course which finally ends on the 29th of August. I must confess there is a lot of tension at the moment as I prepare for this final assignment.
During the open studio I will demonstrate techniques on Saturday 25th (10-11am and 4-5 pm).
I will also offer classes and other programs. If you are interested to take my art classes please contact me via the contact page stating your areas of interest or I can email you a list of classes I am offering either private sessions or in a group of max 3 people.
You can download the Open studio brochure here
Dora Williams
Malvern - Worcestershire
Venue 76
Creative Synergy at the Elmslie House, Malvern 29 September 2017 premiere of Credo by Liz Johnson.
Another successful collaboration with Liz Johnson. Credo premiered Friday night performed by the amazing viola player Adam Römer. The evening program included poetry by Nina Lewis who wrote poetry on the subject of migration and refuge, Nina responded to Liz Johnson music andmy painting "Credo". A terrific creative evening with a very receptive audience actively participating in the dialogue initiated by the artists.
The discussion with the audience
CREATIVE SYNERGY at the Hardwick Gallery in Cheltenham
Photos from the opening on 14th July 2017
My painting on "Intricate Web" CD cover and poster
Very Honoured to have my painting chosen to be on the cover for Liz Johnson's CD.
Premiere performance at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on Sat.20th May 2017.
November News
Since the end of "Elements" exhibition I have been busy working on my MAFA course in Cheltenham. I always wanted to go deeper on the meaning of my work and be pushed in places where I wouldn't go. So it is now happening and it is a very exciting journey, reading and informing myself is very important as the skill (or craftsmanship) needs that support to be able to better communicate our creativity. So now I am realising there two type of work that I make: the commercial and the conceptual which is less commercial. However when I look at my representational work, I see the artist enjoying the creative process with experimental attitude and yes, I had terrific time in the making. Here are some examples of that "fun":
Opening Photos of 'Elements' exhibition at the Elmslie House, Malvern, UK - 30th Sept .2016
'Elements' an exhibition curated and works by John Barrett and Dora Williams at the Elmslie House, Malvern, UK with guest artists: Louise Pilditch and music composer Liz Johnson
Comments from the visitors book
I'd like to share some of the comments that people left on my visitors book at the Worcestershire Open Studio last weekend.
My painting on the front cover of SLAP Magazine August 2016
Very proud that my painting is featured on the front cover of SLAP magazine and in the article about Worcestershire Open Studio.
Photos from the Salon Des Refuses 2016
My painting exhibited at the 2016 Salon des Refusés is in these photos.
Salon des Refusés 2016 - Thu 23 – Sun 26 Jun 2016
SPACE 129-131 Mare Street London E8 3RH
FREE ENTRY
Organized by Happenstance Art & Framing Gallery Media support by London Art Events
Happy to be part of this exhibition for the second time as I have been rejected by the RA Summer Exhibition. not all rejections are negative, actually they bring in more opportunities. If you can please visit this exhibition, for more details visit Salon des Refusés
Dora Williams Blog
Reflections, observations and thoughts in the process of making art
