It's lovely to have you here!

I’m Diane, a London based artist, wife and mum of two girls. I paint bright and beautiful art inspired by a style popular in the 18th Century called Chinoiserie, pronounced ‘shin-waa-zuh-ree’, literally meaning ‘Chinese things’. I obsess over every detail, from the size of each brushstroke to the tone of each colour. My unique method of painting on silk gives a modern, fresh look, versatile enough to work in any home. I hope you love what you see!

Image above shot by Suzy Bennett for Period Living magazine.

Chinoiserie artist Diane Hill sits on a sofa with a friend, holding a framed chinoiserie art print

From me, to you

Being surrounded by nature is key to our health and wellness, so it’s no wonder so many artists are inspired by the beauty it provides. Filling your walls with paintings of flowers, plants and wildlife brings the outdoors in and lifts the atmosphere of a space.

I'm passionate about sharing my art and skills with all those who enjoy it. It is important to me that every talented artist has a platform to succeed. Whatever your passion… never give up on it!

Brand Collaborations

I've been lucky enough to collaborate with some incredible brands who share my values and celebrate my artistry. Together we have developed a beautiful selection of products using my hand-painted originals, such as wallpaper, fabric, silk scarves, jewellery and dresses (as pictured!)

Image above shot by Sundari Ferris for Hill House Home.

Chinoiserie artist Diane Hill holding a pretty china vase bursting with peonies and pretty pink flowers

The early days

I have been creative right from toddler years. My mum tells me of how I used to draw all over the walls (sorry mum!)! She always had the cutest decorative ornaments around the house while I was growing up, and I’m sure that's why I'm so attracted to the flowery, delicate aesthetic.

Chinoiserie artist Diane Hill sits with her daughter on her lap, in front of a bright and beautiful mural featuring birds, botanicals and plenty of colour, hand painted by Diane

In 2016, I decided to set up my own business


It all started with my youngest daughter Bonnie’s bedroom which I painted very slowly (between school runs and nap times) over a year. I really wanted a Chinoiserie paradise for her, full of bold colours and beautiful birds! I decided to share some snaps on my personal Facebook page and the reaction was bigger than I could have imagined. It was shared countless times and even caught the attention of Vogue magazine. It was at that point that I really believed this could be a great business - so I got to work right away on building my website and getting professional photography!

Chinoiserie artist Diane Hill holds a collection of her Chinese paintbrushes

The process

I use a mixture of Chinese and European brushes, and a type of watercolour paint called Gouache. My originals are mostly painted onto paper backed silk. It is silk fabric as you know it, but it's been specially treated and backed with rice paper to enable me to paint beautiful crisp details and smooth gradients. Once my paintings are complete I have them digitised using a specialist precision scanner, which creates a perfect reproduction of the original painting, including the soft texture of the woven silk and every fine brush stroke.

I pay meticulous attention to achieving blended gradients

My technique means that my paintings have a sense of depth, as well as ultra fine details thanks to using precision brushes. To achieve the shading in my flowers I use two thick Chinese brushes, one loaded with watercolour paint and one loaded with plain water. I lay down the paint with one brush and then quickly blend the colour out using the water brush. I have to be super quick to get the smoothest possible gradients!

Image above shot by Suzy Bennett for Period Living magazine.

The next chapter...

The journey I’m on continues to outstrip my wildest dreams and I want to help other artists create a fulfilling life for themselves too. I plan to teach my skills and create a beautiful community of Chinoiserie lovers! You can start by following behind the scenes on instagram and by signing up to my lovely emails. There is so much more to come so watch this space...

Whatever the future holds, I hope you’ll join me for the ride!

The Latest Blog Posts...

diane hill in her blue botanical chinoiserie bedroom

My Chinoiserie Chic Home Tour With House Beautiful

Take a tour of my home and see how we transformed it from quirky 50s charm to modern chinoiserie chic in just eight months!
diane hill in artist studio with chinoiserie butterfly paintings and botanical wall art prints

No Time To Paint? Top Tips For Time-Strapped Artists

Unlock your creative potential by doing more with less time. Take a look at my top painting advice for overcoming time constraints and learn to paint smarter, not harder!
artist diane hill holding 2 Chinese paintbrushes next to her original floral painting on silk paper for her 'Rosa' chinoiserie wallpaper

How To Paint With Confidence And Brush Off The Fear

Learn how to conquer the fear when starting a new painting project! Join me as I guide you through my best tips to help you paint Chinoiserie art with confidence!