Nanette specialises in quirky, colourful and dream-like oil pastel pictures, evocative of the spirit of the surrounding landscape
Naturally, part of the inspiration behind the exhibition is Brantwood's great man himself, Ruskin. Nanette's lively and colourful oil pastel pictures often depict a solitary, whitewashed stone cottage, surrounded by nature in an idyllic Lakeland setting.

Ruskin greatly approved of people that both lived in and worked from their houses – "they were their palaces and castles," to quote from his seminal book on architecture 'The Seven Lamps of Architecture,' first published in 1849.

Nanette's portrayal of stonewalls in her pictures are a visual translation of Ruskin's eloquent prose.

For several years Nanette was involved in research in the High Arctic and Antarctic, giving her an appreciation of sweeping landscapes, a major influence in subsequent artwork.

Nanette's pictures also reflect the Ruskin ideal, featuring abodes and shop houses in a natural setting, that have been relatively untouched by human interference since they were first built, thereby imparting a sense of their history.

'Palaces and Castles' runs from July 5 to August 31 in the Severn Studio at Brantwood, Coniston. It is open daily and admission is included in the house or garden ticket.