Maggi Hambling offers a glimpse into her studio in online series

Controversial contemporary artist and Suffolk icon Maggi Hambling will take art lovers behind the scenes when she takes part in the online Cut Conversations from her studio.

Interviewed by Essex Book Festival director and neighbour Ros Green, Maggi will show people where her world-famous sea paintings have been created.

The space was also where she created her portraits of famous friends like George Melly and Sebastian Horsley, as well as designs for public sculptures like The Scallop and the recent statue celebrating Mary Wollstonecraft.

Maggi Hambling will be talking to friend Ros Green about her work in Cut Conversations, an online series to raise funds for the Halesworth Cut arts centre - Credit: Douglas Atwell

Maggi’s approach to her work was captured in one of her most famous quotes: “If you’re going to be an artist, you’ve got to make your work your best friend, that you can go to whatever you’re feeling, and have a conversation with it.”

She added: “My philosophy of life is that I am deeply, deeply serious about my work and for the rest I like to have a few laughs.”

Maggi was born in Hadleigh, had her early training with Colin Moss at Ipswich Art School.

She was a student at the Artists’ House, Benton End, Hadleigh, where she blossomed under the guidance of Arthur Lett Haines and Sir Cedric Morris before graduating from Camberwell School of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art.

Maggi was made an OBE in 1995 and a CBE in 2010.

The Halesworth Cut will be streaming Maggi's Cut Conversation on Sunday, April 25 at 3pm.

Tickets are free but donations towards The Cut would be gratefully received.