Born in 1932, Valerie Batchelor studied art at the Salisbury School of Art in the early 1950s. Two artists from whom she draws inspiration are John Singer Sargent and Ken Howard, both of whom, like Valerie capture the quality and reflections of light. She exhibits at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, the Pastel Society and the Royal West of England Academy. She also exhibits widely in mixed and solo shows in galleries in London, Hampshire and the Cotswolds. She is a much admired and collected local artist, known both for her work in watercolour and acrylic.