Paula MacArthur trained at the Royal Academy Schools and on completing her studies began teaching in further and adult education, schools and studio workshops alongside her studio practice. She is now a tutor on the Painting BA Hons course at OCA; an open access, distance learning provider of higher education courses.

Paula has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, was a prize winner at John Moore’s Painting Prize and first prize winner at the National Portrait Gallery Portrait Award. Other highlights include Made in Britain – National Museum Gdansk Poland (2019), In the Future curated by Rosalind Davis at Collyer Bristow Gallery (2018), Contemporary Masters from Britain touring four museums in China (2017), Slippery & Amorphous London & Brooklyn (2016), Four Self-Portrait Artists – Walker Art Gallery Liverpool (1994), New Contemporaries – Whitworth Art Gallery (1989). Permanent collections include the National Portrait Gallery London, Priseman Seabrook Collection and Jiangsu Art Museum in China and Graham Crowley included his essay on my work ‘Still Light’ in his book ‘I Don’t Like Art’.

Paula works from her studio at Rye Creative Centre, East Sussex. Her primary focus is painting but she also works with screen-printing and photopolymer etching. In 2019 she was elected Chair of the artist-led group Contemporary British Painting, as part of this role she coordinates the Contemporary British Painting Prize and helps manage the @paintbritain social media which has a following of 20K+.

Joe Packer was selected to exhibit in 'Towner International' at the Towner Gallery, Eastbourne in 2020 and awarded First Prize for the Contemporary British Painting Prize 2018. As part of the prize Matthew Collings wrote an essay on his work and Joe is now a member of the artist led group Contemporary British Painting.

Joe trained at Norwich School of Art and the Royal College of Art and now works from his studio in St Leonards. He is a gallery artist at Aleph Contemporary and is currently exhibiting in 'Matthew Burrows Selects' at Unit 1 Gallery Workshop, London. He has taught an online course for Emily Ball at Seawhite and is a mentor on the Turps Correspondence Course.