Zillah Richards completed a Foundation course in art at Sunderland Art College in 1968. She then did a degree course in Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Drawing & Painting in Oxford, graduating in 1972.

She has had several solo exhibitions in Newcastle upon Tyne and in her home county, Northumberland.

Her work as a draughtsman for the British School of Archaeology in Athens enabled her to travel extensively in Greece and Turkey. She had the opportunity to further her love of painting in watercolour, and it was these pictures she brought back for her exhibitions.

She moved south in 1992 and after spending many years teaching art in Kent, she is now able to concentrate once again on developing her passion for painting. Her subjects are wide ranging and include architectural, landscape, floral and coastal scenes.