Deryn Cowdy was born in London, she studied sculpture at Bath Academy of Arts. After painting for theaters and photographic studios. She restored painted finishes for the National Trust, where she learned about and grew to love historical materials and techniques, still evident in her work.
Since arriving in Miami to work at the Versace Mansion, she has been based in Miami, where she met her husband with whom she has 2 children. She has worked extensively as muralist and photographer in Miami and London. She developed a gilding technique to enhance her photographic images which range from the kitchen counter to large scale vistas of the Everglades. Deryn is currently working on a series of large-scale landscape paintings thinking about the threatened beauty of the Everglades ecosystem.