Matthew Rice is a painter illustrator and writer.Flowers, animals, gardens and buildings are his principal subject and his work is always observational wherever possible, drawing from life . Using watercolour, pen and ink and heavy watercolour paper, Matthew uses bright colour and simple composition. For 30 years he has used all of that to produce designs for Emma Bridgewater pottery and his mugs for that business, which he ran with his ex-wife, have been produced in millions and are used worldwide. He has published ten books, five in print today with two more in the pipeline. Some are about architecture and others focus on a particular place: Rome, Oxford, Norfolk, Stoke and his particular favourite and frequent destination: Venice. 

Matthew’s parents were both designers and painters. His father Peter designed sets and costumes for operas, ballets and plays for over sixty years while his mother, Pat Albeck, was a textile designer among other things designing over 500 much loved tea towels for the The National Trust . As an only child he found a lot of time to draw and had these two fine teachers but later went to Chelsea and the Central school of Art in London. 

Matthew lives in the last shred of a castle gatehouse in the country  and paints and works in a converted  Cotswold stone barn across the farmyard where his painting courses take place . At one end is the office of his eldest daughter Lil who, with  her husband, runs a small but thrilling circus in a big top in the orchard each summer . Gardening is his other passion and the house is surrounded by two acres of brightly coloured flowers and delicious vegetables. Ham Court is open to the public from time to time during the summer months, please see our calendar of events for Open Garden dates.