Martin Close started his creative life in the photographic industry, then progressed into becoming a design & illustration artist. In 2003, his love of professional artwork led him to open his own commercial gallery 'Art Culture’ in Marlow, UK, retailing works by Chagall, Dali and Picasso. Through this experience, Martin discovered a passion for oil painting and sought a tutor who could provide him with the knowledge and skills to create representational portraits.

As a father of four, he was not in the position to go to Italy and study full time, as he would have wished, and classical atelier art schools had not yet emerged in the London art scene. Instead, he found an accomplished oil painter to whom he became an understudy and, in addition, he pushed himself to spend days studying paintings in the National and Mall Galleries in London. He observed the compositions, the details of fabrics, skin tones, eyes… then spent hours at night carefully deconstructing what he’d seen and testing his ideas on canvas. His work quickly sold within his commercial gallery, often before he had even completed the painting, and his work was exhibited and sold by the Saatchi Gallery. Later, his passion for portraiture and still life led him back into the classroom to be taught by multiple Florentine alumni and acclaimed artists at various London studios.

An enthusiastic and motivational teacher, Martin continues to innovate his teaching methods. His experiences on this journey have led him to found the CAA and bring the atelier teachings to the wider south coast. Now an experienced artist and teacher of many years, Martin continues to push himself in order to keep growing as an artist and his current works include a collection of atmospheric sea and landscapes. 

Laura studied with us at the Classical Art Academy with Martin and Anastasia Pollard. She historically studied at the Accademia d’Arte in Florence and The Heatherley School of Fine Art in Chelsea.

She has a talent for portraiture, both people and animals, having undertaken commissions since 2009.

“I’ve drawn and painted for as long as I can remember, I even have a Blue Peter badge for a picture of me as an artist titled ‘what I want to be when I grow up! At 18 I became interested in the Dutch masters – how they made the paint seem to glow fired my imagination and started a lifelong love affair with oils and capturing light with them! I absolutely love portraits; it’s the thrill of capturing a likeness and a glimpse of the sitter’s personality, something done so brilliantly by my absolute hero John Singer Sargent.”