Wendy's formal art education began with four years at The Art Academy of El Paso in Texas, USA. A few years later and back living in England, she attended the Heatherleigh Art School in Chelsea where she completed a two year Diploma in Portraiture. Not wanting to give up the study of art, Wendy decided to work on a masters degree at Canterbury Christchurch University, completing in 1999. During this time she continued with her love of portraiture, writing her dissertation on The Relevance of the Self Portrait. Since that time she has exhibited with many of the London societies including: National Society of Acrylic Painters (of which she is a member), The Royal Society of Portrait Painters, The New English Art Club, The Society of Wild Life Artists, The Pastel Society, The Royal Watercolour Society and The Southwest Academy, Exeter. Her work is in collections both in the USA and Germany where she lived for several years. Wendy has exhibited in a number of one woman shows as well as participating in many joint exhibitions. She has written four books: Landscape in Acrylics (Search Press), Step by Step Art School, Acrylics (Hamlyn), Painting in Acrylics (Search Press) and Drawing and Painting (Hamlyn). She has written several magazine articles for The Artist and Illustrator and The International Art Magazine. Wendy currently runs The Wendy Clouse Painting School from her large, well-lit studio in Shepperton. The classes are small and well organised with students being encouraged to try any number of media and to have the confidence to experiment with different ideas. "I believe that art should be exercised rather than forced; it will lead the participant to their own unique maturity," she says.