Meet: Imogen Paton
- Written byEleanor Harvey
- Published date 22 June 2026
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From portraiture shaped by a fascination with emotion and expression to socially driven creative practice, Imogen Paton has built a career that blends storytelling, advocacy and innovation. Since completing her BA (Hons) in Painting from Camberwell College of Arts, UAL in 2005, her work has evolved across mediums and causes—from large-scale portraits and sculptural projects made from household waste to founding initiatives focused on community support and wellbeing.
In this interview, Imogen reflects on her time at Camberwell, the experiences that shaped her journey as both an artist and a mother of four, and how those paths ultimately led to the creation of Cradle of Life, a venture designed to better support people through life’s most significant transitions.
Tell us a bit about you and your background.
Creativity has always been at the centre of my life, particularly portraiture and exploring emotion through faces — whether human or animal. I’ve always been fascinated by expression. That desire to look beneath the surface of living beings and explore emotion, vulnerability and connection has remained a constant thread throughout my work.
Over the years my practice has evolved in different directions, but I’ve always remained deeply tied to storytelling and social themes. During lockdown, for example, I began creating wall-mounted animal heads made entirely from non-recyclable plastic household waste. I must have made hundreds in total — and sold every single one. The project became an unexpected exploration of consumerism, waste and beauty, while also offering people a sense of connection and humour during a difficult period.
Those waste sculptures later went on to be featured in Westminster Abbey and appeared on a television programme by Grayson Perry, culminating in a display at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.
Alongside creative practice, I’ve also worked on socially driven projects and advocacy work, particularly around women’s wellbeing, domestic abuse awareness and community support. I’m a mother of 4, and many of my ideas and projects have been shaped by lived experience — especially around birth, caregiving and the gaps people can experience during major life transitions. Those experiences ultimately led me to found Cradle of Life.
You graduated in 2005 from Camberwell with BA (Hons) in Painting. How would you describe your time at UAL?
My experience at UAL began with a Foundation degree, which gave me the space to work out what I wanted to do creatively. It allowed me to experiment with different mediums and forms of expression before specialising, and that period of exploration was incredibly valuable.
What I loved about Camberwell and UAL more broadly was the freedom to experiment and think critically. It encouraged curiosity and individuality rather than trying to fit people into one creative path. That experience really shaped how I approach my work now — creatively, socially and entrepreneurially.
My years at UAL also taught me the importance of self-motivation, drive and willpower. If you put the work in, you’ll be rewarded. Equally, if you allowed yourself to get swept up in the trappings of student life, nobody was going to pull you up on your laziness. In that sense, it was a real test of dedication and personal responsibility — not to mention a huge lesson in life skills.
Even though I trained as a painter, the skills I developed around communication, observation, emotion and concept-building have informed everything I’ve done since, including building Cradle of Life.
What was a highlight from your time at Camberwell?
Looking back now, more than 2 decades later, the experience almost feels like one big atmosphere or feeling rather than a series of separate moments — but there are certain things that really stand out.
One of the biggest highlights was my graduation show. I still remember the sense of pride seeing my work hanging on those huge white gallery walls. After years of experimenting, questioning yourself and pushing through creative blocks, it felt incredibly validating to see the work presented publicly in that way.
What also stays with me is the incredible mix of people an art degree attracts. There were mature students, young starters fresh out of school, people from all over the world, all bringing completely different life experiences and perspectives into the studio environment.
I’ll also always remember one tutor in particular, Howard Rogers. He was a practising painter himself, outspoken in his ideas and completely unaffected by society’s expectations around how someone should teach, behave or create. He led by being entirely his own person, and I found that incredibly inspiring. He embodied the idea that creativity could be lived authentically rather than simply taught academically, and that stayed with me long after leaving Camberwell.
What did you do after graduating?
Like many young artists, I left university dreaming of “making it” — being featured on magazine lists of artists to watch and building a recognised career in the art world. Shortly after graduating, I was featured in the BP Portrait Award with one of the large-scale portraits I created whilst still studying at Camberwell, which was an incredibly affirming moment early in my creative journey. But even then, I always felt torn between pursuing a career in the arts and wanting a family even more. Ultimately, motherhood became the defining journey of my adult life.
Interestingly, even as a child my ambitions were always split between creativity and care-focused professions. I dreamt of being an opera singer, a marine biologist, a police officer or a counsellor — all roles rooted either in expression, curiosity or helping others. Looking back, I think working ‘for a cause’ was always in my bones.
I had my first of four children at 26, and motherhood completely transformed the direction of my life. It brought enormous love and purpose but also led me through some very difficult and isolating experiences at times. Creativity became my survival tool — the thing that helped me process, rebuild and transform negative experiences into something meaningful and constructive.
That eventually became the foundation for my CIC, Arts Against Abuse, which used creativity and public engagement to raise awareness around domestic abuse and support conversations that are often hidden or difficult to have. For me art doesn’t just belong in galleries — it can also be a powerful tool for healing, advocacy and social change.
You’re the founder of Cradle of Life, a health and wellbeing venture. Can you tell us more about this?
Cradle of Life was created in response to my own experiences of feeling unsupported, uninformed and overwhelmed during pregnancy, birth and early motherhood, and recognising how many other people felt the same.
At its core, Cradle of Life is about improving the way we support people through major life transitions — especially experiences that can feel isolating, medicalised or fragmented. The first product is an educational and supportive conversation card deck designed to help people explore topics around pregnancy, birth, postpartum and emotional wellbeing in a more open, accessible and empowering way.
As a dyslexic myself, it was important to keep these cards highly visual but also digestible in an informative sense. I wanted to allow people to navigate the pros and cons without information overload and to be given the respect to make up their own minds as to what was best for them and their individual circumstances.
The project combines evidence-based information with creativity, reflection and human connection. My long-term vision is to expand it into a wider platform that supports not only parents, but people navigating different stages of life and caregiving such as menopause, divorce and teenagerhood.
A big part of the mission is inclusivity — creating tools and spaces that feel supportive, non-judgemental and accessible to people from different backgrounds and experiences.
Have you always had an interest in socially driven work?
Yes, definitely. Even during art school, I was drawn to work that explored human experience, identity and social issues. Over time that became more action-oriented through community projects, advocacy work.
I think lived experience has played a huge role in shaping that. Experiencing challenges personally — whether around motherhood, domestic abuse, mental health or simply feeling unheard within systems — gave me a strong drive to create things that help other people feel informed, supported and empowered.
For me, creativity and social impact aren’t separate.
How have you found building a business?
Building a business has been both incredibly rewarding and incredibly challenging. As a founder — especially as a single mother and someone building something mission-led — you wear a lot of hats at once. There have been moments of self-doubt, financial pressure and steep learning curves, but also moments where I’ve realised the impact the work is having and why it matters.
I’ve learned that you don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin. A lot of setting up a business is learning as you go, being adaptable and staying connected to your ‘why’.
What advice would you give to someone looking to set up their own?
My advice would be:
- Start before you feel fully ready.
- Don’t underestimate the value of your lived experience.
- Build genuine relationships and community around your work.
- Be willing to ask for help and learn new skills.
- And most importantly, create something you genuinely care about, because passion and purpose are what carry you through the difficult stages.
- Success rarely happens overnight, but consistency, authenticity and resilience make a huge difference over time.
