This fortnight I'm absolutely thrilled to feature Angela Rimmer, a Teignmouth-based artist who's just had her work blazing across billboards in Oxford Street, London.
Angela's journey from 25 years in corporate marketing to creating bold, luminous abstract seascapes is a testament to following your inner artist – even when life has other plans first.
Congratulations on having your work featured on billboards in Oxford Street! How did it feel seeing 'Golden Hour II' up there, and what has the response been like?
"I was that thrilled to see my artwork and I actually jumped for joy! The response has been tremendous. The other artists selected and my others in my network have been really lovely and supportive. My collectors have been as excited as me! And I'm really looking forward to whatever happens next."
Your work was selected from over 600 submissions for 'Art on the Street' – what do you think resonated with the selectors?
"The selectors carefully curated an interesting and varied selection of work from emerging artists including figurative work, photography, portraiture and so I think that my bold colourful abstracted landscape stood out."
After 25 years in corporate marketing, you picked up a paintbrush during lockdown. What was the moment or catalyst that made you take that leap?
"I've been painting all of my life and started to take regular workshops when I relocated to Devon over 10 years ago. During lockdown I realised that regularly practicing art was my happy place – and a hidden dream.
"I was enjoying developing my artistic language in my spare time for fun and freedom – and I'd never even considered the prospect of showing my work.
"In 2023 I attended a business networking event where I was encouraged to visualise my best future – without any limitations. Something strange and magical happened for me and I uncovered my inner Artist.
"My family and I have experienced a lot of heartache over the years and it's so true that life is too short. The path to my dream was not overnight or straightforward, but it was a grower and I let the excitement and fun carry me forward rather than letting fear hold me back."
How has your marketing background influenced the way you approach your art practice and career as an artist?
"My background likely hasn't changed what I care about as an artist so much as how deliberately I move through the art world. It's given me a lens that many artists don't have – and that shows up in both my work and my career decisions. For example, I understand colour psychology, narrative and positioning. I'm comfortable with contradiction and being the 'odd one out'."
You work with some unusual materials – coffee, ink, gold leaf, spatulas, rollers. How did you discover this unique approach?
"It's unusual but not at all strange. What makes my practice compelling is the contrast in my work which creates tension. Using coffee, ink and gold (gede) leaf together sits at an interesting intersection of everyday material and historically loaded luxury – which is a well-established strategy in contemporary art. Coffee has been used my many artists for it's natural staining qualities, ephemeral and organic nature. Gold leaf has a very long lineage.
"The choice is intentional and thoughtful – coffee behaves differently from paint – it blooms, fades, pools, resists control. Gold leaf, by contrast demands patience, precision and reverence. I discovered this by trusting my intuition, and I felt the pull: the ordinary vs. the precious; the domestic vs. the sacred."
You're fascinated by the mystery and energy of the ocean. Living in Teignmouth, how does being by the sea influence your daily creative practice?
"I love living at the intersection of the forest, moorland, river and sea. Nature – specifically the light in nature – influences my creative practice the most. I'm originally from Cheshire and so can't help but be fascinated by the mystery and energy of the sea – which still, after all of these years, feels both scary and exciting."
Which artist, living or dead, would you love to have coffee with (literally!) and why?
"Iris Apfel – businesswomen/ interior designer/ fashion designer/ bon vivant. Known as a style legend with an outspoken personality she lived till 102 and looked like lots of fun!"
What are you working on right now? Any exciting projects in the pipeline for 2026?
"I'm currently working on a couple of BIG abstract canvases inspired by a yoga/ hiking trip of the Gorges du Verdon in 2024 – they are taking a ton of paint and a lot of time! I tend to work on a number of different things concurrently then dip in and out of them as my ideas and practice develops."
Where's the best way for people to experience your work locally?
"I'm at MAP pop up space till 23rd Dec, then exhibiting at 'Not a Pretty Landscape' Kaleder Studios 31st Jan/ 1st Feb 2026 (both in Exeter). As a member of Torbay Guild of Artists, I hope to exhibit again with their events in 2026. My work is permanently in Artisan Gallery in Exmouth and I'm always keen to explore new gallery opportunities. Meanwhile my website and Instagram is the best place to browse my work."
What's your vision for 2026?
"I'm really fascinated by immersive arts and keen to learn and develop an immersive art practice in 2026. I'm on the Board of Art Work Exeter CIC and there are going to be some really exciting artist-led projects happening in 2026/7 – watch this space."
What strikes me most about Angela's story is her willingness to let excitement carry her forward rather than letting fear hold her back. That networking event visualisation in 2023 became a catalyst – not because it handed her a roadmap, but because it gave her permission to claim what she'd been quietly nurturing all along.
Her understanding of contrast – the ordinary versus the precious, coffee versus gold leaf – extends beyond materials into her entire artistic philosophy. She's comfortable being the 'odd one out', which is exactly what makes her work so compelling. That bold colourful abstracted landscape standing out among 600 submissions? That's the reward for trusting your intuition and your unique voice.
If you're in the area, catch Angela's work at MAP pop up space before 23rd December, or mark your calendar for 'Not a Pretty Landscape' at Kaleder Studios at the end of January. You can also find her work permanently at Artisan Gallery in Exmouth, or browse her full collection at
www.angelarimmer.art. And if you're curious about immersive arts and what Angela has brewing for 2026 with Art Work Exeter CIC – trust me, you'll want to follow along.
If you'd like to be featured in our Artist Spotlight series or know of local creative projects we should cover, drop me a line athannah@print2wall.co.uk. At Print2Wall, we offer museum-quality fine art printing and bespoke framing services to help artists and photographers bring their vision to life – visit us at www.print2wall.co.uk
