classically influenced paintings had to be taken down... after complaints about DALEKS

Kate Richardson, the sister of Anna Ryder Richardson, hopes they will be better received when they go on display in Cardiff.

When Kate Richardson hung her classically influenced paintings in a gallery in Cornwall they had to be taken down after complaints about the Doctor Who Daleks.
It’s hoped that Cardiff as the adoptive home of Doctor Who, might receive them more favourably.
The 50-year-old self taught painter, who just happens to be the baby sister of TV presenter and celebrity zoo owner Anna Ryder Richardson, has barely exhibited the paintings before.

“I’m so excited because I’ve been doing these large pieces so long. I generally do stuff for the tourists down here like seascapes and trees and things because they sell well.

“I’ve been working on the Dalek project for so long but they have just been hidden away.”
The paintings now form part of an exhibition at Cardiff’s Oriel A&B gallery.
“It’s just so lovely to have people see them. I’m self taught and began about seven years ago. I started painting angels for some reason. I went to the Louvre and got all excited about things like cherubs, but I’d never painted wings or material, or done much figurative work.

I had to teach myself so I started copying my favourite artist the 19th century Italian painter Bouguereau, who painted The Birth of Venus. I’m passionate about his work, so chose his images to try and recreate, and to practice painting things like wings.
I ended up with the first large painting, and wondered ‘what am I going to do with it now?’. It’s good but it’s not brilliant and I needed to add a quirkiness to be interesting to anyone.”
But aside from Bouguereau, it was Kate’s two children who had a huge influence her work.

“My children have always loved Daleks and we’ve always had them in the house. My son was absolutely passionate about them for about five years when he was younger. We did everything Dalek; we built sandcastles, we made costumes they were just part of our lives, so I thought ‘I know, I’ll put a Dalek in it and see how it works’.
Loving the wonderful reactions to her first work, Kate who is an occupational therapist, was inspired in her new guise as a painter. But an exhibition of her work in West Cornwall where she lives, proved too much for some of the locals.

“There was some negative reaction from their religious community here. I had an exhibition at the gallery near where I live and they had to take the paintings down because of complaints. I just had to take it on the chin and see it as ‘any publicity is good’, and just thought that perhaps Cornwall wasn’t really ready for them.”
Thankfully, with Cardiff being the adoptive home of Doctor Who, audiences here may be more welcoming.

Kate, who now makes a living from her art, is still an occupational therapist two days per week.
“It’s pretty busy, and I’m training for a marathon so life is pretty hectic. I have to admit that I don’t watch Doctor Who now the kids are older, there’s no time, but I must say David Tennant was may favourite Doctor.”It was her sister Anna, who prompted the exhibition in Cardiff .

“Anna is great and has been really supportive, and in fact she helped organise this exhibition and this has helped bring us closer together.”
But Kate has never before mentioned to anyone but friends that the interior designer and television presenter, who shot to fame on the BBC programme Changing Rooms in the 90s, is her sister.
“I ditched the Ryder from my name because I didn’t want to have to deal with all the questions,” said Kate.

It was her sister Anna, who prompted the exhibition in Cardiff .
“Anna is great and has been really supportive, and in fact she helped organise this exhibition and this has helped bring us closer together.”
But Kate has never before mentioned to anyone but friends that the interior designer and television presenter, who shot to fame on the BBC programme Changing Rooms in the 90s, is her sister.

“I ditched the Ryder from my name because I didn’t want to have to deal with all the questions,” said Kate.

As Anna now pursues her childhood dream of owning a zoo, building her reputation as a conservationist at the Manor Wildlife Park in Tenby , she is shying away from the limelight. Meanwhile Kate is just stepping into it.
“It’s quite funny, it’s now my chance to shine,” laughed Kate.
“I’m really hoping to have some more exhibitions because I’d love to start painting more of these. I had to stop for a while to earn some money painting more popular stuff but I’d love to do more of these, I like to have a long term project. It is such a challenge. I don’t feel as challenged or as proud of my other work.”

Perhaps subconsciously Kate’s other work includes images of angels, which Doctor Who fans might notice, bear a striking resemblance to the Weeping Angels, a race of predatory creatures from the long-running sci-fi series.
“I think that’s a coincidence but actually it may be a new theme to explore. I think there is perhaps a subconscious Doctor Who thing happening here.”
To see more of Kate's work visit her website .

Kate’s Daleks can ben seen at Oriel A&B Cymru at Mermaid Quay Cardiff until December 6th.