My art journey

Well where do I begin, at the beginning may be but there have been so many beginnings and endings.

I was and still am that quiet girl {well sometimes} the one who wasn’t good or particularly bad at things just average but I always had a want or need to create, at school I did art class and got an “ 0” level , I always thought it was just a fluke, I compared myself to the others in my class and never thought I could be as good as them. What I didn’t realize and it’s taken me over 50yrs to learn is that I didn’t need to be as good or better than anyone I just needed to learn and be me!.. To be fair on myself looking back things weren’t easy, but then whose life is easy?.. I don’t suppose it’s meant to be.

So life began and art for me stopped, I did create in other ways, I had wonderful friendships, made beautiful homes, lived life and had my gorgeous children… A lot of personal ups and downs, a busy, sometimes very hard life with a lot of personal loss.

Art took very much a back seat. Then my hubby who has always encouraged me in whatever I tried to do said “why don’t you draw our 4 dogs ?”.. while we sit and talk and I will do some doodles too, at that time we ran our own dog boarding /day care and dog grooming business as well as my hubby working as a computer engineer and myself working in a supermarket , bringing up our combined children.. Like I said I lived a very full life! So down time became a very precious thing and the thought of drawing hadn’t occurred to me but I gave it a go, very rusty but I found it so therapeutic, just to sit and think of nothing else but my dogs and shapes and shading wow!!. But life carries on and time wasn’t on my side, so art was forgotten about again then our children left home, we now have absolutely gorgeous grandchildren and are very grateful for all we have a lovely mixed family we wouldn’t ever change , don’t get me wrong ups and downs but we pull through.

Now my art has become more than just a forgotten friend who pops in and out of my life now and again, it’s become my saviour, I’m still battling the thing called time but my art has pulled me through the deepest darkest points in my life.

I can go into my art room and nothing else matters but marks on paper, the feel and smell of the pencil or pastel , the colour that I am able to turn into something really enhances my mind and my thoughts, it’s so addictive !

When I found out people taught on line it blew my mind, I had so much to learn and was eager to do so, so back to school again that has now been a year of learning but I wasn’t expecting how much I would learn not just about art , how to draw what to use, colour theory , dark / lights, shading but I also learnt so much more about self worth, how art can help you heal but it can bring healing, joy and happiness to the people you create your art for, isn’t that just so amazing ? This part of my journey was all down to finding Bonny Snowdon an absolute brilliant teacher and mentor in so many ways, including finding self worth and development.

I have now left Bonny Snowdon were my love for art was reignited because I needed to develop my art in other ways, so I have gone on to find other wonderful teachers such as Lisa Ann Watkins, Jason Morgan and Emma Colbert all of whom have taught me so much in a new found love for pastels, the vibrancy you can achieve in this medium is amazing. So this has lead and enabled me to become an artist in my own right, I will always learn.. That is so much enjoyment in its self and you can never know it all we all learn from each other don’t we ?

My real art journey is just beginning, there is so much I want to do and give back, the wonderful people who have supported me on my journey.. You, yes you just by taking the time to read this you are absolutely amazing and I hope in some way I have inspired you in your own unique journey to never give up keep going you can and will do whatever you set out to do.. Oh and it’s never too late until that last breath.

My art is going to do so much more; I’m going to have the privilege of helping something so very close to my heart animals and wildlife but more about that next time.