Patricia "Squish" de Chair (nee Harding-Newman) inherited her artistic talent from her mother* but otherwise considers herself a self-taught artist, never having attended any art college.

Being married to an army officer for over 29 years and therefore leading a fairly nomadic existence as well as bringing up a family, Patricia found it difficult to find the space or time to work. However, when they eventually moved to their own house in Scotland in 1993, she found that, at last, she had more opportunity to concentrate on her art, concentrating mostly on botanical subjects. She also enjoys painting murals and loves the release of painting with large decorating brushes that this subject brings, as opposed to the tight restrictions of '000' brushes used in her very detailed flower watercolours.

She has exhibited for many years now in many parts of the United Kingdom and especially enjoys showing her work at all the local art exhibitions which are held annually in the summer by the Lochaber Art Club, Appin Art Group, the Art Society of Inverness; and also at the Dunkeld Cathedral Art Exhibition.
She has sold paintings to people living in America, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Austria and throughout the United Kingdom.
Four of her watercolours of spring flowers have been reproduced as limited edition prints and she is planning to reproduce more of her originals in the near future.

Last Exhibition: (with her twin sister)
2003 Guggleton Gallery, Stalbridge, Dorset 18th – 26th April 2003

Special Commission
Commissioned by Peter J. Smith of Chanctonbury Nurseries,
2002 West Sussex, to do a watercolour painting of 'The Golden Jubilee Lily'
which he presented to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Preview
of the Chelsea Flower Show 20th May 2002

Exhibitions
(6-man) Talents Fine Arts, Malton, North Yorkshire 2001
(4-man) Malcolm Innes Gallery, London 1993
(2-man) Balmain & Balmain, Dorset 1991, 1994 & 2000

Paintings also exhibited at:
RHS Westminster Show February 2001 (Silver Gilt Medal)
Society of Botanical Artists, Westminster Gallery 1992, 1999 & 2000
Dunkeld Cathedral Art Exhibition (annual) 1987 - 1999
Malcolm Innes Gallery , London 1998
(25th anniversary exhibition)
Nigel Stacey-Marks Ltd., Perth 1997
Glamis Castle Gallery 1987 - 1990
Singer & Friedlander/Sunday Times Watercolour
Competition, The Mall Galleries, London 1991 & 1992
The Armed Forces Art Society, London 1991
and at many other art galleries throughout the country.

Collections
Shirley Sherwood Collection of Contemporary Botanical Art, and included in her
book: 'Contemporary Botanical Artists'

Watercolour Commissions
To paint watercolour of new variety of "Princess" alstroemaria -"HRH Princess Margaret,
Countess of Snowdon" - for presentation to The Princess at the naming ceremony at the
Hampton Court Flower Show 1998

To paint watercolours of different varieties of alstroemaria for private Collection

plus many other private commissions for watercolours of flowers

Mural commissions
High Legh Garden Centre, Cheshire 1990, 1991, 1993 & 1998
Private house (bathroom), Cheshire 1990

Prints
Limited edition prints of four different designs of
Spring flowers - 'Flores vernales'

The Old School House of Tulloch, Roy Bridge, Inverness-shire PH31 4AR
Tel/fax: +44 (0)1397 732227
Email: dudsquish@tiscali.co.uk and patriciadechair@hotmail.com

* Mother
(Her Mother, K. M. (Mu) Harding-Newman (nee Scale) studied art at Farnham Art College during the 1920s, and later continued at Goldsmiths College under James Bateman RA. She went on to produce large oil paintings based on mythological and biblical subjects, having studied the early Renaissance and been much influenced by the work of Michaelangelo, Botticelli and Pierro della Francesca. Many of her paintings were hung in the Royal Academy (her work was accepted for the Summer Exhibition every year from 1933 to 1939) RBA and SWA. In the 1950/60s she received many commissions to paint portraits and later on also painted watercolours of flowers, but in a much loser and more 'decorative' style than her daughter Patricia. At the age of 89, suffering from bad arthritis and failing eye sight, she gets extremely frustrated and upset at not being able to paint as she used to, but can often still be found spending hours in her studio at her home in Easter Ross. She gives great support to both her daughters in their artistic pursuits and also her many grandchildren who are all very talented).