Join three of the most exciting mural artists working in Britain today: Tess Newell, Melissa White and Lucinda Oakes in conversation with Patrick Williams, founder of Berdoulat.
Together, they will share their personal insights and creative journey with mural painting. The conversation will give a rare ‘behind the scenes’ insight into this celebrated form of art that so often takes place behind closed doors.
Following the talk, there will be time for an audience Q&A and a book signing.
10-10.30am - Guest Arrival and Refreshments
10.30-11.30am - Talk
11.30am - Audience Q&A
12pm - 1.30pm - Lunch in the Ox Barn or The Swan
*Talk and lunch tickets include access to the talk, welcome refreshments and lunch in the Ox Barn or The Swan - a £30 allocation towards your bill. Guests may be seated on a communal table - if you have a seating preference, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you on the day.
Tess Newell
Tess Newall is a decorative artist based in Lewes in East Sussex.
Working from her rural studio at the foot of the South Downs, Tess's work draws inspiration from the natural world around her. After studying archaeology and anthropology at Oxford University, Tess trained as a scenic painter in film and theatre before establishing her decorative interiors studio in 2018. She intends for every project to evoke an atmosphere and tell a story, with each mural being a thoughtful response to the building and its surrounding landscape.
Tess leads a team of artists to bring residential and commercial mural commissions to life around the world. She has worked with acclaimed interior designers including Salvesen Graham, Kit Kemp and Sean Symington. Tess' work has a timeless aesthetic that feels as at home in contemporary interiors as in historic homes.
Photo by Liz Seabrook.
Melissa White
Melissa White is a decorative artist known for reinterpreting the historic craft of Elizabethan wall painting for contemporary interiors. Her fascination with the bold, hand-painted schemes that once adorned Tudor homes has shaped a distinctive visual language — one that blends scholarship, storytelling, and a painterly love of patina.
After researching and recreating original wall paintings for museums such as Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Melissa was awarded a QEST Scholarship in 2007 to develop her practice. Since then, she has created bespoke murals and painted interiors for clients including Buckingham Palace, Fortnum & Mason, and Diageo, as well as widely recognised wallpaper and fabric collections with Zoffany, Lewis & Wood, Kit Kemp, and Andrew Martin.
Working from her studio in Hastings, she continues to explore the creative possibilities of large-scale hand-painted decoration — from one-off fresco-secco panels to digitally produced scenic wallpapers based on her originals. Her work is rooted in vernacular folk traditions yet alive to contemporary colour and narrative.
Melissa’s pieces appear in homes and hotels around the world, from Bergdorf Goodman in New York to Firmdale Hotels in London. Her practice celebrates the enduring value of craftsmanship and the timeless beauty of the painted wall.
Lucinda Oakes
Lucinda Oakes is a British decorative artist known for her hand‑painted murals, wallpapers, screens, and panels inspired by classical decorative traditions. Building on a family legacy of English country house painting, her work blends traditional craftsmanship with imaginative architectural and garden imagery.
After studying Fine Art (BA and MA) and travelling extensively, she began painting on silk and producing hand‑painted scarves for Liberty before embarking on a career creating bespoke decorative commissions for interiors.
Working from her studio in Hastings, East Sussex, Oakes collaborates with leading interior designers and private clients in the UK and internationally, producing works that complement and transform interior spaces.
Patrick Williams
Patrick Williams lives in Bath, Somerset, UK with his wife Neri and two daughters Wren & Bonnie. He founded Berdoulat, a homewares, furniture, interiors and architectural design practice twenty years ago. It has been included in House & Garden’s Top 100 for eight years running, and his projects frequently appear in the magazine, as well as the likes of World Of Interiors, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Elle Decoration, and many newspapers globally. He is a committee member of SPAB for Bath & Bristol, and a visiting lecturer and tutor on the Interior Design course at Bath Spa University
