Finding a New Life Through Art.
For British-Egyptian artist Mireille Botros, painting became much more than a creative interest. After building a successful career in banking and business consulting, a period of serious ill health prompted her to reconsider the direction of her life. What began as a way to occupy her time developed into a passion that would eventually lead her away from the corporate world and towards a career as an artist.
Based in Saltaire, West Yorkshire, Botros is largely self-taught, having developed her skills through courses in Leeds, Florence and Cairo. Working primarily in oils, she creates expressive portraits and figurative paintings in which colour plays a central role. Her interest lies less in reproducing a physical likeness than in exploring the emotions, personalities and experiences of her subjects. Her paintings are often intuitive, with each work developing its own character through her choice of colour, brushwork and composition.
Alongside her painting, Botros has become an active figure in Yorkshire’s creative community. She founded Creative Social Saltaire to bring artists and creatives together and established Studio Botros to make painting more accessible to adults, particularly those who lack confidence in their abilities. Her work has been exhibited across Yorkshire and in Egypt, and she has undertaken commissions connected to Bradford 2025, including murals for Staying Put.
In this interview, Botros discusses the unexpected journey that brought her to painting, the influence of her British-Egyptian upbringing, the importance of artistic community and her ambitions for the future.
You came to art after already building a career in banking. What was happening in your life when you first began to realise that painting might become more than something you were simply curious about?
I came to art after having built a career in banking and business consulting. I had taken a few art workshops and courses here and there during the pandemic but never took it seriously. Around three years ago, I had some serious health issues which saw me at home full-time, not working and with plenty of time on my hands, so I took to painting.
I became obsessed, and my painting skills improved rapidly. One day, I just had this thought that I couldn’t imagine my life without painting. It scared me but also filled me with so much joy, so I decided not to resume my business consulting work and to explore a career in painting instead.
That suited my chronic health issues and my new passion. I needed to live life at a slower pace, but immersing myself in so much creative expression was also healing.
Your first serious step into art came through a charcoal drawing course in Leeds in 2020. Do you remember what it felt like to discover that ability in yourself after so many years of working in a completely different field?
I took a portrait drawing course with Luke Thompson in Leeds, and I will forever be grateful to him. He taught me how to draw properly, and it was like I discovered this new language within me.
I have always been interested in drawing people, even from a young age, but I didn’t have the skills to express this. It took my friends and family by surprise that, after six weeks, I was able to capture a likeness and wasn’t half bad at it.
You later spent time studying in both Florence and Cairo. Did those two places give you very different kinds of confidence as an artist?
My experiences in Florence and Cairo couldn’t have been more different. No one else signed up for the drawing course I took in Florence because it was during Covid, so it was just me, my tutor and our interpreter at Accademia Riaci in Florence.
My time there was intense, romantic because it’s Italy, and reminded me of my university days. I had so much fun and learnt a lot, but there was also a lot of anxiety in the air because the country was shutting down again for another lockdown.
I ended up back in Egypt, thinking I’d only be there for a month or two, but I ended up being stuck there for nine months. That led me to search for another drawing course, but I only managed to find an oil painting course with Yehia Osama that suited my schedule.
I wasn’t in love with oils (I am now!) and was the only student who didn’t really care about learning because I had other things on my mind. Yehia taught me well, but more importantly, it was through his course that I found an incredible community of artists who inspired and supported me.
My friend Mostafa, whom I met on the course, has since played a huge part in me pursuing my artistic career. He helped me grow my confidence and still does to this day.
Your paintings are often centred on people and emotion rather than simply likeness. When you begin a portrait, what are you hoping to understand or reveal about the person in front of you?
I am the eldest daughter in my family, and I grew up in a conservative society in Cairo with an English mother and an Egyptian father. I think those experiences made me very perceptive to people’s moods and hidden emotions. This made me pay close attention to people’s expressions. I was constantly trying to read people, their emotions and intentions.
I hadn’t realised how this would develop artistically, but it means that I am far more interested in expressing people’s emotions through a portrait than simply capturing their likeness. Sometimes, I even subconsciously convey my own emotions through portraiture, which I hadn’t realised for a while.
It isn’t a particularly conscious process. When someone sits for me, I never quite know what colours, style or brushstrokes I’ll end up using. Initially, I tried to control this because I thought I needed to develop a consistent style, but I’ve come to realise that this unpredictability is one of the things I enjoy most about painting.
Each portrait becomes its own little discovery, both of the person in front of me and, sometimes, of myself.
Colour is such a strong part of your work. Do you tend to use colour descriptively, or are you more interested in how it can shift the emotional tone of a painting?
I’ve come to realise that almost everything I create is driven by my emotions. I absolutely love colour and how it can so easily shift the tone of a painting. My use of colour is probably how I express myself the most.
You describe yourself as largely self-taught. Has that given you a certain freedom to experiment without feeling bound by a particular school or way of painting?
At first, I felt I couldn’t call myself an artist or even a professional painter if I didn’t have the qualifications to back it up. I have a master’s in finance but not a single diploma or degree in art, although I’ve attended plenty of workshops. That’s why I am considered self-taught.
Once I had met quite a few very impressive self-taught artists, I was able to let go of that insecurity. I work really hard at my practice. I am constantly upskilling myself. I just feel so hungry for knowledge. I am curious by nature, so I experiment with lots of different styles. I have a lot of freedom to do that.
Your British-Egyptian background gives you a connection to two quite different cultures. Do you feel that duality enters your work consciously, or is it something you notice more when looking back across it?
I think I am so focused on expressing emotions, specifically my emotions, in my work that I haven’t got to the part where I express my cultural heritage in my work yet. I think that day will come when I’m ready. Clearly, there are other things I need to get out of my system first.
I also think I am very influenced by my surroundings, so because I live in Yorkshire, I am drawn to expressing what is around me, from people to landscapes.
Community seems to be a very important part of what you do, particularly through Creative Social Saltaire. What made you want to create a regular space for other artists and creatives to connect?
Community is everything to me. It is how I survived some difficult times in my life.
I built Creative Social Saltaire at a time when I was experiencing severe social anxiety, my confidence was at rock bottom, I had no friends my own age as I had just moved to Bradford, and I had no network in the arts community.
I decided the only way to build that was to see if anyone else wanted to connect with like-minded people. Twelve people showed up to the first event, then three the following month, then none the month after that. I nearly gave up but kept going, and it started to grow gradually until, a year later, almost 50 people showed up to one of the Socials.
It means everything to me to see people make friends, collaborate on projects and look forward to it each month. Some people have even quit their day jobs to pursue their artistic careers.
I have made friends and so much more from the Socials, and I look forward to meeting new people each month.
You also founded Studio Botros to make painting feel more approachable, particularly for adults who may lack confidence. Why is helping people get past that fear of “not being artistic” so important to you?
I suppose it’s important to me because I can relate to the feeling. I was never praised for any artistic talent growing up, but I was also never taught properly.
It was only when I was taught that I discovered I was creative and could excel in my practice if I worked hard enough.
As adults, we approach learning something new with so much fear. If we let go of that, we really can thrive. I do my best to create a nurturing, inspiring learning environment for my students so that they can just focus on learning something new.
Your recent commissions and exhibitions include work connected to Bradford 2025 as well as shows across Yorkshire. Has becoming more rooted in the local creative community changed how you see your own place within it?
Absolutely! Even though my mother is from Yorkshire, I had never felt particularly connected to it until I lived here full-time.
I thought I would spend the rest of my life living in London, but now I love it here. I am proud of my heritage and proud to live here.
Having met so many accomplished artists in Yorkshire who are years ahead of me in their careers, I realised I didn’t need to live in London to make it. I can live comfortably in Yorkshire and slowly, hopefully, one day achieve my goals.
You made a significant life change in order to pursue art. Looking back now, what has surprised you most about the reality of building a creative life around painting?
I’ve had to learn to create opportunities rather than wait for them to come along. In many ways, I’ve drawn on my previous career more than I expected while learning to navigate the uncertainty and vulnerability that come with putting something so personal into the world.
I’ve also been surprised by how much I enjoy building things beyond my own painting. Through Creative Social Saltaire and Studio Botros, I’ve discovered that creating spaces where other people can connect, learn and feel more confident creatively is just as fulfilling as making art myself.
At this point, what feels most important for you to develop next, whether in your own painting, teaching or the wider community you are building around your practice?
Honestly, I just want to paint, paint and paint some more! One day, I’d love to be on Portrait Artist of the Year. Who knows, my ambitions might change as I develop, but it’s something I’d love to work towards.
Longer term, I’m also interested in bridging the gap between artistic ability and the practical skills needed to sustain a creative career. I have a background in business consulting and finance, and I see real potential in bringing those skills into the creative community, particularly for artists who don’t have the resources to access that kind of support.
For more information, visit Mireille’s website
