Painter and teacher who studied at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art, West Surrey College of Art and Design, then Brighton Polytechnic. Was artist-in-residence at Oakland School, 1982–5, also teaching at London College of Printing and at Cornwall College. Showed with National Portrait Gallery from 1981, with NEAC from 1984 and in 1990 was included in The Broad Horizon, at Agnew. Mathews had a solo show at Cadogan Contemporary in 1988. In 1989 Mathews won an Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Award. Was noted for portraits and pictures of everyday subjects employing a rich palette as seen in her shared show at Anna-Mei Chadwick in 1993.