Vanishing Worlds: Reflections on a Special Evening

The Vanishing Worlds exhibition felt like a gathering of kindred spirits, and I want to thank everyone who came to share in this moment with me. The support for WWF and wildlife conservation was heartwarming and exceeded anything I could have imagined. It reminded me of why I paint—why I pour my passion onto the canvas. It’s not just about the art itself; it’s about giving a voice to the wildlife that can’t speak for itself. Each of the people who attended Vanishing Worlds helped amplify that voice.

Together, We Make a Difference

Hearing Natasha share her touching memory of the rhinos and listening to Milly from WWF speak so passionately about our planet's endangered species brought the room together in a way that went beyond art. I felt that everybody really reflected on what we can still achieve together. Yes, the challenges we face are significant, but they’re not impossible. It’s not too late to change direction! Each painting, every conversation sparked at the exhibition, adds up to something bigger than any one of us could accomplish alone.

As Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”

This resonates deeply with me because I believe in the power of community—of coming together to create a small but positive difference in our world. Through your support, we’ve already raised a significant amount for WWF, and I’m incredibly grateful. It’s a reminder that we are part of something bigger, part of a collective effort to protect what we love.

The Journey Continues

For those who couldn’t make it to the exhibition or want to revisit some of the works, there are still pieces from the Vanishing Worlds collection looking for their forever homes, and WWF can be supported in many other ways. Each painting is not just a piece of art but a step toward raising awareness and fostering a deeper appreciation for the world’s most vulnerable creatures. If you’d like to see the updated digital catalogue, I’d be delighted to share it with you.

Let’s keep carrying this momentum forward. Whether through art, conversation, or simply choosing to be more conscious in our daily lives, together, we can continue to make a difference. Thank you for being part of this journey, and here’s to many more moments of connection, reflection, and hope.

A Painting a Day

I love to share my experiences as an artist, the real and authentic, the difficult and the beautiful. But some days, it also feels important to take a step back and celebrate what I have achieved: to let my work speak for itself.

In the second half of April, I gave myself a challenge: to post a new painting every single day. I wasn’t sure I would manage it, but what amazed me was that I actually found myself having more energy each day. On some days, I even did two paintings, and sold them as a diptych!

So here is my April blog - just art:

I actually feel quite sad now that the challenge is over. I found myself looking forward to finding out what I would paint each day.

Luckily, I still have exciting exhibitions coming up, as well as some commissions to keep myself challenged. So although all of the paintings above (apart from two, at this time) have sold, if you fall in love with one… why not challenge me to paint you something similar?

“A Walking Canvas”

I am so excited to introduce you to my collection of Katherine Hughes hand-painted shoes, where you can wear the change you wish to see in the world.

Although I grew up in Tanzania, I have spent much of my life on the move. I love having a base in London now, but exploration will always be a big part of my life. I love to travel! I love to see the world. And so it makes me happy that my next collection is all about movement. The paintings in my A Walking Canvas series will never stay still.

Tying a Bow on a New Idea

The seed of the idea for A Walking Canvas came a few days before one of my previous exhibition openings. I was about to showcase a series of paintings called Celebrating Britain’s Beauty, and I wanted to wear something that reflected my theme. I am a passionate lover of fashion, but I am also a big believer in sustainability. My work is about protecting our environment and wild spaces, and so although I worked in the fashion industry in Paris for a while, I couldn’t justify a fast fashion choice. Instead, I decided to take a pair of shoes I already owned and paint an echo of the exhibition onto them in the form of sunflowers. What could be more perfect?

And then, of course, at the exhibition, my shoes got almost as much attention as my oil paintings. They received so much interest from my wonderful friends and supporters that it made me think about giving other people the opportunity to carry a piece of wild art with them on the move. And so the idea for a collection, not of paintings, but of hand-painted shoes, was born.

Leaving Only Lovely Footprints

I have chosen to paint sneakers from the Adidas Sustainable Collection because I believe in sustainable, slow fashion, and I want the shoes to last as long as possible. Each pair will have a unique design to remind the wearer of the beauty and vulnerability of our wild spaces. 

I love that no two people will ever have the same pair of Katherine Hughes shoes!

I just loved the idea of taking shoes — one of the most common and disposed-of items of clothing — and making them into a form of wearable art that celebrates the beauty of nature. I think it is a lovely way to invite people to become a part of a movement that supports the protection of our planet.

To Walk Far, Walk Together

50% of the profits from 'A Walking Canvas' will go directly towards a charity I have handpicked. I will be working with charities that I know well, ones that make an immediate, uplifting difference in the world. My idea is to take this collection worldwide and to use it to support many wonderful causes that I believe in. 

The first charity I have chosen is very close to my heart: KidzCare provides support, education, nutrition, and community services to children living in rural areas of Tanzania, my home. I believe that sustainable change starts with education, and with our young people. 

I am so excited to invite you to the launch of my A Walking Canvas collection, an exhibition at Café Phillies on October 19th. 

The Tanzania I paint.

Tanzania is home and always will be. In my eyes, Tanzania is the most special place on earth. It is where I grew up, where my family still live… and it doesn’t hurt that it is one of the most beautiful, wild countries left in the world.

Although I grew up in Tanzania, I live and paint in England now. These two places are so different, and yet both hold such significance to my work and to my life. I guess you could say I have two homes… and both of them are beautiful. 

So, when I returned to Dar es Salaam recently, I decided to take the opportunity to ask myself, what about this special place made me into the artist I am? What is it about Tanzania that I am hoping to bring into the homes of people all around the world, starting in London? 

I also worked with a videographer to create a short documentary that captures a little of the Tanzania I know and love. Don’t miss the video here: 

A little bit of wilderness

Of course, nowhere is perfect, but what makes Tanzania “perfect” in my eyes is the wilderness and the endless untouched beauty. Not all of the land is beautiful, but from the National Parks to the clear blue oceans, Tanzania is nature at its most unforgettable.

Nature at its wildest.

Growing up, we spent almost every weekend out at sea, swimming in the ocean, snorkelling, diving, pretending to be fish… or mermaids! Let’s say mermaids… they are so much more mystical. ;) And without fail, every year, as a family, we would go on safari.

Between the sea and the bush, we were constantly surrounded by nature, and although I took it all for granted at the time, quite recently, I have realised how lucky I truly am — that experiencing all of this was normal to me. 

I have so many magical memories of Tanzania’s natural spaces, and I find myself returning to them again and again on canvas.

A burst of colour

Another source of inspiration in my work is colour. I love working with brightness and mixing “unusual” colours together to represent something beautiful in a new and unexpected way. Not to try and sell Tanzania to you, but it is a country filled with so many colours! Have you ever admired the brightness of something as simple as a fruit? The open skies of Tanzania make everything from bananas to beads shine, and the people embrace colour with such a sense of joy, from their fabrics to their art. 

Learning from the experts.

Tinga Tinga is a painting style derived from East Africa. In Dar es Salaam, the majority of the local artists paint using this style. Colour explodes through Tinga Tinga, and this is where much of my love for bright colours was born. In the past, I tried to keep up with the “European trends” and stick to neutral colours, but honestly, I find it so boring to limit myself to quiet tones. I think neutrals are beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but colour is what makes my heart sing! It makes me feel alive! 

A deep and quiet love 

There is one thing about Tanzania that has inspired my work in a purely personal way, one that you may not always be able to see. My grandmother, Miggie, lives there. She is the person who taught me how to paint, and she was perhaps my biggest inspiration of all. 

Miggie and me.

Miggie had the most amazing little art studio at her house, and this is where I learned everything! When we weren’t at sea, in the bush, or exploring local markets, you would usually find me curled up at Miggie’s house (only a 10-minute drive from my home). I would spend hours copying all of Miggie’s paintings one by one, desperate to be an artist just like her. 

Miggie’s studio is where all the magic happened. Here, I learned how to use different paint mediums, and how to capture the things that I loved in colour and lines and movement. This is where I became an artist. 

Two homes are where my heart is 

It has been strange since I left Tanzania to know that my heart can be in more than one place at once. Tanzania is where I feel the most grounded, the most connected to nature. So, I know that it is vital for me to go back as often as I can so as not to lose sight of this. Life moves at a slower pace in Tanzania, whereas in England, I can feel a little like I am stuck in fast-forward. 

Slowing down and connecting.

And yet, I have always wanted to live in England. Like Tanzania, England has a lot of beauty and wilderness. It may look very different, but to me, it feels the same: something precious that we should love fully and do what we can to protect. 

After a trip to Tanzania, I always come back feeling inspired. I am ready to create, to combine the beauty of Tanzania with the beauty of England, to mix my two homes and hearts together… to make a new identity for myself. I come back to London - to this concrete jungle where flowers still grow - to tell my story and to share the importance of nature, colour, and love through my art. 

At the end of the day, if I have inspired even one person, I know that my art has meant something. 

Making Space For Giants

I had the immense privilege of working with Space for Giants last year and visiting their team at the Loisaba Conservancy in Kenya. I would love the opportunity to tell you a little about my experience with them and the vital work that they do for wildlife and conservation.

Space for Giants is on a mission to protect Africa’s remaining natural ecosystems, with a focus on the large animals within them. They are, quite literally, trying to conserve and make ‘space’ for wild animals in a world that is rapidly prioritising using all remaining space for people.

What I found especially interesting during my trip to Kenya to see first-hand what Space for Giants is trying to achieve was the unexpected challenges that can affect conservation work. For example…

Prickly Pears

Removing Prickly Pears from wild spaces.

Prickly Pear was first introduced to the conservancy in the 1970s as an ornamental living wall when the negative impacts were unknown. It was thought that the prickly cactus was a beautiful, natural way to keep wildlife out of human habitation.

Since then, it has unfortunately spread to a wider area of the Loisaba Conservancy. With animals such as elephants picking up the seeds and spreading them through their dung, prickly pear has taken over a lot of land - spoiling the indigenous natural landscape and taking space away from vegetation other animals need to survive.

Loisaba Conservancy has been able to purchase a JCB backhoe in order to help with the mechanical removal of the plant. The use of the backhoe has enabled the removal of the cactus at over five times the rate of the previous method – using large knives known as ‘pangas’, shovels and wheelbarrows.

This challenge is not one that I would have considered a ‘conservation’ challenge, but it was inspiring to see the work being done to protect remaining ecosystems.

I was also given the very great privilege of seeing some of the unique methods that conservation teams use to protect wild animals.

The Loisaba K9 Unit

Meeting the conservation experts

The Loisaba K9 unit are on the front line of protecting the wildlife of Kenya. Tracker dogs are one of the most effective tools for wildlife security, often deterring poachers from even entering an area. Over the years, these bloodhounds have proved invaluable to Loisaba’s security team. They have helped track down dozens of poachers and criminals, find missing people and return livestock to their owners, earning them their well-deserved reputation throughout Laikipia. The incredible work these tracker dogs do, combined with Kenya’s strong wildlife trophy law, which can result in imprisonment for life or a 20 million shilling fine, is a huge deterrent to poachers.

One of the last Northern White Rhinos

With my focus on wildlife art and conservation, it’s incredibly important to me to raise awareness about the urgent need to protect the critical ecosystems on which wildlife and people depend. It was such a privilege to have the opportunity to work with Space for Giants to raise awareness and funding for vital conservation work in Kenya.