Tori’s Story

As Old As Time

Tori and her dog Spud You talking to me?

Tori Ratcliffe is a hugely talented Edinburgh-based artist, who is championing conservation at the same time as providing collections of beautiful water colours and charcoals for her ever-increasing fan base. Steven Smith at Edinburgh Arts who sells Tori’s work is hugely impressed with her talent, energy and passion for the environment, alongside her capacity to produce a high volume of limited-edition paintings.

Woodland Prince

Call of the Wild Tori was born and bred in Hampshire and was first introduced to watercolours by her aunt when she was 21. Tori does not have the patience for the traditional method of painting so she developed her own unique style. Steven picks up the story: “In the years that we have been working with Tori, she has fast became one of our most in demand artists. Her paintings can be seen as a reflection of her own personality – vibrant, creative and dynamic, while embracing her joy of life.

“It became clear very early on that Tori’s approach to painting wildlife was different to anything that we had encountered. There is a loose freedom in the manner she applies the paint, before defining the portrait using simple but well-placed line marks. Her use of colour in her paintings marries the colours found in the animals themselves, as well as the colours found in the landscapes they call home. In contrast to this, most recently Tori has been experimenting with chalk and charcoal sketches, adding a further element to her artwork – it’s always exciting to see our artists grow and develop their skills the longer we work with them.

“As Tori’s popularity continues to grow, so does the demand for her prints and cards. Popular images in print include ‘The Clash’, ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘Call of the Wild’, with ‘Ginger and Biscuit’, ‘Head of the Highlands’ and ‘Woodland Prince’ selling strongly from her new collection.

“As Edinburgh Arts continues to grow, we rely heavily on our suppliers to provide their materials and services on time. Critical to this is the working relationship we have with LarsonJuhl and our area sales manager, Lisa Fraser Orrick. With global supply chain issues having an impact around the world, particularly due to the pandemic, having the capability to forward plan our moulding and mountboard supply with LarsonJuhl has become an essential tool to guarantee a continuous supply of those essential materials.”

“Being open edition giclée prints, we combine the affordability of open edition, alongside the longevity of high end giclée printing, to create an affordable range of prints to suit most budgets that will retain their vibrancy for years to come.”

INSPIRATION

Tori told 4walls that: “The inspiration for my style of artwork has many sources. A love of fashion illustration introduced me to the idea of combining pen and wash, whilst an interest in the works of artists such as Jackson Pollock and Ralph Steadman helped me embrace the joy of the paint splat! My love affair with the ink pen comes from my time at college where I studied Graphic Design and Illustration.

“I managed to develop my skills as a painter in between my studies at University where I earned a FirstClass Honours Degree in Creative Advertising. After leaving university I decided to leave advertising behind and try to make something out of the small painting business I’d built up on the side. Within a year I had begun to fully establish myself as a working artist, exhibiting in many galleries and spaces, including the prestigious Mall Galleries in Pall Mall, London, where I had been short-listed for the international ‘David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year’ competition. And now I have a fantastic studio space in Edinburgh!”

Tori is hugely appreciative of the part framing can play. “You should hear me squeal when I see my artwork framed,” she says, “quality framing adds another 25% to its ‘goodlookingness’!”

A selection of Tori’s Smol and Tiny paintings

Chin up, love! Hello Friend

4walls especially loves her ‘Smol’ and ‘Tiny’ ranges which are miniature works at affordable prices that have proved to be very popular. “Art should be accessible,” Tori told 4walls. The inspiration for her smaller pieces came as lockdown hit and she was worried about consumer demand for art. “As it turned out,” she says, “lockdown worked in my favour as through Instagram more and more people are seeing the value in supporting small businesses.”

Tori was very pleased to hear about Larson-Juhl’s growing range of sustainable products as she is hugely committed to conservation.

CHARITY

As an animal artist, Tori has a huge passion and respect for the natural world. She says: “The impact that humans have had on the natural world has been, at times, pretty devastating. We are losing wildlife at an unprecedented rate due to things like habitat loss, climate change and poaching.

“This is why I have partnered up with several wonderful charities that I trust, and whose work in conservation is second to none when it comes to protecting and preserving our planet and its species. I genuinely believe that if we all pull together we can help preserve our planet’s remaining wild spaces and the animals that inhabit them, but we have to act now and we have to act fast.”

Since 2015 almost £26,000 has been raised through the sale of Tori’s artwork and prints, and donated to various charities including Trees for Life, Pygmy Hippo Foundation and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.