About Me
I began dabbling in paint when I was quite young, more than 70 years ago. A schoolfriend’s Mum ran a Saturday morning art class, and from there I went to a Saturday morning art group at Kingston Tech as it then was. I changed to a pottery class but always at breaktime I continued to go to a local shop with others to buy a penny drink — red, yellow or green!
Once I started working I joined various evening classes, but the biggest encouragement came when I moved to Exeter and a gifted fine art student in the church took some of us on once a week in an evening sometimes going outdoors to paint. It was in this group that I learned to be adventurous with colour in pastel initially but also in other media. I was later able to arrange painting holidays in rented accommodation by the sea or in the countryside in venues in Devon, Dorset, Cornwall and Wales. It was all very relaxed sharing in the cooking and washing up as well as choosing what we did each day.
I was really pleased to be able to be part of the Pennsylvania Art Group continuing in the same chatty atmosphere as before as well as being part of Exeter Art Society and now Topsham Art Group. I particularly enjoy painting landscapes, trying to not only capture the mood of the day but also a sense of the Creator beyond.
I have been able to continue with some pottery as well, and am now doing the occasional portrait as well as including figure drawing in my paintings.