Pauline Kraay is the daughter of a fashion artist and grand-daughter of a sculptor. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and later learnt the art of Hinterglas painting (behind glass) in Austria. This demanding technique, which has been used in many countries since medieval times, involves painting in reverse, starting with the detail and ending with the background, the result of which is that each brush stroke is final and later corrections are impossible. She has exhibited in this country and in Europe, and her work is in private collections around the world.