Shirley Malone has had a varied career including a spate as a bus-conductress. Little did she know that those early sketches scribbled on the backs of bus tickets would eventually lead to a vast body of work being displayed in solo and joint exhibitions, the highlight of which so far, has been an exhibition alongside Russian Jewish painter Marc Chagall.

Before this, Shirley studied Visual Art, Psychology and Education at Middlesex University. She started to paint after a string of miscarriages prompted her to seek therapy and chose art therapy as a way of exorcising her demons. The result surprised her, awakening a talent that had lain dormant for many years. The birth of her daughter, Poppy, curtailed her education but allowed Shirley the time to indulge her greatest passion... her art.

In 1996 Shirley opened her own gallery, The Mind's Eye Gallery of Arts at Crews Hill, North London, where she displayed the work of relatively unknown artists. She also curated several successful exhibitions at The Atrium Gallery in London.

Shirley's work combines many different styles varying from the abstract, and surreal to expressionist. Her direct expressive language awards the viewer access to that which inspires her most... The Subconscious.

She has experimented with various media including watercolour, gouache, oils, pen & ink, acrylic and encaustic, the latter of which has attracted great interest. This medium involves applying beeswax to the surface and then using a type of iron to produce a mindscape. The end result is stunning and unique. A truly original piece that invites viewers to navigate their way through the picture to discover their own perceptions of the content of the piece.