Of Light and Layers.Studios
Welcome!
Of Light and Layers Studios is a quiet meeting place – a shared space for exploration between two artists Claire Hankey and Petra Blacklock drawn to the subtle language of nature, texture and memory.
Through layered compositions that blend Claire’s abstract paintings with Petra’s still life photography, we create works that sit between disciplines. Veils of fabric, fleeting botanicals, brushstrokes, shadow and light — all come together through a process of multiple exposure photography and slow, intuitive making.
This collaboration began with images created during a branding shoot for Claire’s artwork where portrait photography and painting creatively aligned. That experiment sparked an idea for a project and the creative dialogue hasn’t stopped since.
Our practice is rooted in shared values: slowness, observation, imperfection and a quiet fascination of the natural world. Each piece is shaped by both intention and accident: a conversation between surface and depth, concealment and clarity.
We see this work as an ongoing experiment, one that began accidentally and grew from the joy of making together. While each of us has our own creative world, Of Light and Layers.Studios offers a way to meet in the middle and to explore how two mediums can hold space for something neither could create alone.
Meet the artist
Claire Hankey is a visual artist whose work speaks softly, unfolding in muted tones, textured layers and the quiet rhythms of the natural world.
Working from a studio beside the Thames Estuary in Essex, Claire’s practice draws on observation, memory and a deep connection to place.
Her paintings offer space for calm reflection and are often inspired by the overlooked details of the landscapes she walks in.
At Of Light and Layers Studios, Claire brings an intuitive sensitivity to surface, material and mark-making.
Learn more about Claire here.
Meet the photographer
Petra Blacklock is a photographer whose work explores connection between people, place and memory.
Known for her portraiture and soulful brand photography, Petra also returns often to personal work that draws on a slower pace and quiet details. Her love for plants, gardens and seasonal light runs deep – shaped by time spent with her grandmother and now in her own flower and kitchen garden.
At Of Light and Layers Studios, Petra works with layered still life photography to create poetic, nature-led images that blur the line between real and remembered.
Learn more about Petra here.