Veronique Maria is an artist, artist’s mentor, & creativity coach, who is passionate about the importance of creativity. She instinctively enables authentic self expression in others, helping people build confidence in themselves, as they open to the fullness of their own unique creative expression.

Veronique originally trained as a transparency re-toucher in 1977; ‘altering’ photographic images by hand on light boxes, & in dark rooms. After that she moved into art & design, initially making craft objects; turning & carving wood, & hand building in ceramics. Once her confidence in her making skills grew, she established her work within a fine art context, making sculpture, installation, heavily textured paintings, artist’s moving image (video), & live art performance for camera. Since the mid 1990s she has worked both independently & collaborated with dancers, musicians, writers & performance artists. 

Veronique has a relentless determination to learn, grow & explore, both personally & artistically. This leads to a diverse & ever changing professional & creative practice. Currently her personal studio work leans towards textiles, painting, pattern, and ceramics, her consultancy work leans towards property development: interiors, landscapes & gardens, & in her mentoring, Veronique’s primary focus, is on enabling, encouraging and supporting others to live whole heartily and creatively.

These days, now in her mid 60s, Veronique is on a mission to pass on her 50+ years of knowledge and experience of working in the arts, design & psycho-spiritual psychology.

After studying at her foundation year at Northbook College, and her first degree at Brighton University, (BA (hons) art & design – wood, metal, ceramics, plastics), she studied psychotherapy & applied psychology for eight years at the Institute of Psychosynthesis, London. She then worked in private practice for a period whilst also pursuing her career in art and design. Eventually she turned her focus entirely towards her interest in, and passion for creativity from a psycho-spiritual perspective; both her own, and that of others.

She has an MA (Masters Degree in Arts)in Applied Psychosynthesis Psychology (applied to fine art practice, from Middlesex University, UK) & some of her extensive professional trainings (which she calls upon when needed) include Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy,(Institute of Psychosynthesis, London) Life Coaching & Leadership, (CTI Coaches Training Institute UK, Spain & USA), Energy Healing (Dinah Lawson UK), Living Tantra (LTT14, UK) & Business Development (UK & USA).

Veronique mentors individuals, in her Hot House Mentoring Programme, hosts creativity retreats, workshops and residencies at her home in West Sussex, leads short courses for adults at West Dean College of Arts & Conservation. Previously she taught in schools, colleges, & universities.

Veronique’s own art mentors include Professors; Danny Rolph & Michael Tucker, Sir Antony Gormley, Simon Grennan, Paul Carter & Alexandra Zierle (Zierle&Carter), & Janine Antoni. Since 1994 she has consistently received numerous grants, awards, sponsorship & funded residencies, Nationally & Internationally. She has creative & academic work published in ‘Psychosynthesis Theory and Practice’, her art work in private & public collections worldwide, & her permanent, site specific earth & fibre work, ‘Mound’ in Hampshire UK, was featured on BBC2’s Gardeners world in 2008.

Veronique had been practicing Buddhism since 1980’s, Tantra since 1990s, & teaching meditation and mindfulness for over 45 years. She is currently training for ordination with the Triratna Buddhist Order, & in 2024 she graduated in Living Tantra. Buddhism, Tantra and Psychosynthesis are integral to all aspects of Veronique’s work and life. She is committed to ‘relationship’, & regards the way we relate; to ourselves, our creativity, others and all things, as being both an art form, and a devotional practice. Her personal aspiration is to live life creatively; in full devotion, and in love. And from that place, she aims to support others to live ‘confidently creative’, in their own unique and particular way.

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Veronique has lived in New Zealand, Canada, New Mexico, USA, Iceland, Singapore, Ireland, England & Wales, & traveled widely. From a very young age, she encountered a diverse range of spiritual experiences & philosophical conversations, at home & at school.

Whilst her primary education started in the heart of London in 1960s, it quickly moved to a remote two roomed village school in Devon, then continued with Moiré’s learning their song & dance in New Zealand, living with Catholic nuns in a convent & with First Nations people in Canada. Exposure to such cultural & spiritual diversity, at such a young age, had a profound impact on her work & life helping her realise the value & importance of creativity.

As Brene Brown so beautifully explains, “We are divine beings, and we are by nature creative.” and “Unused creativity is not benign, it metastasises, it is dangerous. It turns into grief, rage, judgement, sorrow, shame.”

“Creativity and spirituality have been central to my being from a very early age. This has undoubtedly quite literally saved and directed my life, over and over again. If I am able to share some of what I’ve learnt and make a positive difference by helping others live with confidence and ease within the truth of their own creative nature, and divinity, I will feel fulfilled. This work is my passion, my purpose, my love.” Veronique Maria 2025

Veronique’s unique blend of knowledge and intuition is pure gold’. Mary Stephens, Sussex. (Mentee 2021-2023)

“When I think of the work we did together, the most important thing I take away is your belief in me, and your teaching me to be kind to myself. You have helped me integrate all aspects of my life so that I don’t feel overwhelmed by work, that I have choice to do the work I want to do, and am not waiting until I have more time. With love and gratitude, always, Katie” (Katie Sollohub, Artist, West Sussex. Mentee 2012-2024)

Veronique’s lived experience as an artist combined with her knowledge of psycho-spiritual psychology and leadership support my work as coach, mentor and workshop leadeDespite the fact that we are always evolving, we often tend to want to pin ourselves down with definitions around who we are and where we are heading. We say we are ‘this’ and not ‘that’. We say we can do ‘this’ and we can’t do ‘that’. By holding on to these definitions, which of course are just stories around our own limiting beliefs, we end up building walls to defend ourselves against our own creative potential. Sometimes we can be as fearful of success as we are of failure so, either way, we try with all our determination to stay in a familiar safe zone. Of course ultimately there is no safe zone but we cling on to our concept of it any way, ….until one day we wake up, realise the illusion we’ve created for ourselves, and decide to take a ris