Published on 1st May 2025

Katy Edgington began painting after being diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. Through her website, Dreams in Colour, Katy sells her bold and colourful acrylic paintings inspired by a love of nature and travel. Here, Katy describes her journey from microbiologist to artist…

I come from a creative family, as my aunt produces beautiful watercolours and my mum, Julia, drew pets with pastels. She grew up on a farm and her love of nature was always evident in her work. I inherited this passion, but although I enjoyed art at Millais school, my interest in nature led to a career in biological science. I studied at Collyer’s under a wonderful teacher, Dr Mike Price, who inspired me to read the subject at the University of Exeter. 

I was always quite studious at school and college, focusing on grades without going out much. I came out of my shell at university and enjoyed both the social and academic aspects of student life. My dissertation was on Cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite that contaminates water. I was fortunate in that South West Water had a vacancy for someone to study this specific parasite, so I got a job shortly after graduating with a first class degree. It was challenging work with long hours, but I enjoyed it and was promoted to a leadership position. 

In 2014, my mum was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer and wasn’t going to recover. I travelled home to Horsham whenever I could to spend time with her. Later that year, I suffered two seizures and was hospitalised on both occasions. These episodes were attributed to stress and the advice was to rest. I returned to Exeter but suffered another seizure and was grateful to my flat-mate for calling an ambulance. At the hospital, they carried out exploratory scans and discovered I had a brain tumour. 

My mum passed away in April 2015. At the time, I was taking lots of medication and struggled with fatigue. I wasn’t always fully aware of what was going on around me. Although I know it wasn’t my fault, I wish I had spent more time with my mum during her final months. Naturally, my work suffered too and I had to give up a good job and move back to Horsham.

 A wonderful neurologist, who has helped me throughout my treatment, recommended that I have an operation. By accessing my brain, surgeons could gain a better understanding of the medication I needed and hopefully they could remove part of the tumour too. I underwent an awake craniotomy, when a patient is conscious during the procedure. The surgeons asked me questions and monitored my responses to ensure that the operation was not negatively impacting my movement or speech. I’m sure many people would prefer to be completely sedated, but the biologist in me found it a remarkable experience! 

The operation was successful and although they couldn’t remove the tumour completely, it did put an end to most of the seizures. I still needed a siesta most afternoons, but was largely back to my old self. To celebrate, I went on the trip of a lifetime to the Canadian Rockies with my dad, and travelled to Australia to meet friends. The experiences I went through had given me a greater appreciation of life and I wanted to enjoy it to the full. By the end of 2017, I was ready to return to Exeter, but I suffered a significant setback. 

Another MRI scan revealed further complications and led to courses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment. The water company kindly kept my position open for a year, but I wasn’t able to return to work. Instead, I moved back to Horsham, where my family helped me to recover. I have always had the love and support of my family and friends, who have given me constant encouragement and inspired me to be a positive, enthusiastic person. However, it has been difficult to find part-time work with my physical limitations. So, to give me something to focus on, I rekindled a passion from childhood and started painting.  

I know my work is not everybody’s cup of tea, but most people only have nice things to say about it. I’m not a trained artist and have limited experience, but I enjoy it and when someone buys something you have created, it is the most wonderful feeling! Like my mum, I love wildlife and have painted toucans, puffins and even underwater coral. Some are inspired by photos I have taken while travelling, while others depict local landmarks such as the Old Town Hall, the Bandstand and William Pirie’s donkey cart. I find that people are drawn to pictures of places that hold happy memories for them.

I am very expressive with colour. Acrylic paint is quite thin, so I build up layers to create bolder colours and like to fill every inch of a canvas. David Hockney is an inspiration because of his vibrant use of colour, but I also admire John Thompson, who has been a resident artist at Nymans and Wakehurst Place. He has a wonderfully expressive style and captures the natural beauty of plants and flowers.  

I like my paintings to be symmetrical and representational in terms of shape and structure. I often base my work on photos and mark them out in pencil before applying acrylics. Afterwards, I add lines using a Sharpie pen, which brings a painting together and adds an element of playfulness. Sometimes, my hands can be shaky because of medication, but I still prefer to apply lines freehand, as straight lines made with a ruler look too technical. I am more expressive when it comes to colour though, presenting different takes on recognisable buildings, such as St Mary’s Church.  

I am a member of Horsham Artists, who have been very supportive, giving me great advice on materials and allowing me to display work at group exhibitions. I am also a member of Singergy and Horsham Chamber Choir, as singing helps me to stay calm and forget about my worries. 

I have set up a stall at the Carfax market on several occasions. I wish I could do it more often, but markets are hard work and whenever I get home, I’m really tired and need to sleep! Selling original paintings is difficult, as not many people can afford them. So, I use Fine Art Services in Tunbridge Wells to produce giclee prints and also have greetings cards, selling them at the market, through my website, and also at New House Farm and Horsham Museum. Some of my paintings are hanging up at East Mews Dental Surgery and I hope they offer patients a little joy before they have a tooth extracted!  

WORDS: Ben Morris/PHOTOS: Alan Wright

Further information:

Email: ke.dreamsincolour@gmail.com or visit Katy’s website at www.dreamsincolour.co.uk