My Story: The Journey Behind LeeBB Art
It started with a duck, took a rather long detour, and eventually led to a box of watercolours.
Hi, I'm Lee Bagley-Bramwell, the artist behind LeeBB Art.
My journey into art hasn't followed a particularly conventional route. Although I loved painting as a child, it took many years before I picked up a brush again and discovered just how much I enjoyed it.
Today I create original wildlife and landscape artwork in Staffordshire, working with watercolour, oil, acrylic and other techniques. But to understand how it all began, we need to go back quite a few years.
The Story So Far
From school art lessons to rediscovering painting as an adult, here's how a childhood interest turned into something much bigger.
A Duck and a Certificate
One of my earliest memories of art goes back to primary school, when I was about seven years old.
I painted a drake, a male duck, and was awarded a certificate of excellence. I can still remember walking to the front of the school assembly to receive it.
It was a small moment, but it's one that has stayed with me. Looking back, perhaps the signs were there all along.
The Art Lessons That Never Happened
When I reached secondary school, I had to choose which subjects to continue studying. Unfortunately, art didn't make the final list because I had to take a language.
I ended up with a D in GCSE German. All these years later, I still think I'd have got more enjoyment out of those art lessons!
After leaving school, painting disappeared from my life. I worked in different jobs and eventually spent around ten years working in online marketing.
In 2020, I started my own garden services business, which brought me back outdoors and closer to the natural world.
A Very Important Christmas Present
Years later, I followed a friend on Instagram who had started painting with watercolours. Seeing her artwork reminded me of how much I'd once enjoyed art.
I mentioned to my husband that I'd like to give watercolour painting a try one day.
That Christmas, he bought me my first watercolour paint set. Neither of us knew quite what that little present would lead to.
Picking Up the Paintbrush Again
Towards the end of January 2022, I painted my first watercolour mountain scene.
I was surprised by how naturally it came to me. It brought back that memory of my childhood painting and the certificate I'd received all those years ago.
Over the following months I continued painting, and by August I was creating artwork most days.
I started sharing my progress on Instagram as a kind of visual art diary. Each painting became another opportunity to learn something new.
One Painting Became Another
What began as a hobby gradually developed into a much bigger part of my life.
I started with watercolours, particularly mountains and landscapes, before expanding into wildlife, birds, botanical subjects and other scenes that caught my interest.
I set up LeeBB Art to share and sell my paintings, and over time my original artwork and prints began finding homes with collectors in the UK and overseas.
It's still a wonderful feeling knowing that something I've created is hanging in somebody else's home, sometimes thousands of miles away.
Painting isn't just about creating a picture. For me, it's about exploring an idea, learning something new and seeing where the next brushstroke leads.
Lee Bagley-BramwellStill Learning, Still Painting
In 2025, I began exploring oil painting and introduced LeeBB Art merchandise, allowing people to enjoy my designs on everyday products as well as original paintings and prints.
Since then, I've continued developing my work with acrylics, watercolours, oils and line and wash.
Wildlife and landscapes remain at the heart of what I do, but I also enjoy experimenting with different subjects, compositions and painting styles.
Some paintings are detailed and carefully observed. Others are looser, more colourful or deliberately playful.
That's what keeps painting interesting for me. I don't want to stop experimenting or discovering new ideas.
There's Always Another Painting Waiting to Happen
I'm still following the opportunities, trying new things and seeing where this journey takes me.
There are plenty more animals to paint, landscapes to explore and ideas to turn into artwork.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for supporting LeeBB Art. Whether you've purchased something, followed my progress or simply enjoyed looking at the paintings, I appreciate it.
Now, shall we see what I've been painting?