Pet Portrait Diploma Student

Anna Valente has just submitted her final set for her Pet Portrait Diploma and we are pleased to post her testimonial and story below along with one of her pieces of work. Her horse painting is full of movement and atmosphere and we look froward to hearing more from Anna and her paintings.

I dedicate this to my mum Anita and my dad Anthony Valente, and Melanie Phillips my art tutor. My name is Anna Maria Valente, my parents encouraged me to paint, mum was my teacher, stop she would say, too dark, and its quite nice, she smiled when it was really okay. My father took me to my classes to Irene Ann who was my first art teacher at the Barnton Art Studio when I was 18 and she use to let me use the framing machine. I now enjoy attending my local art club.

Melanie suggested the horse to be shown here, I did it with medium of Acrylic and watercolour and Gouache to highlight it. I have just started to paint animals I love doing birds and flowers, I love watercolours and i like doing pastels. I am proud of getting my Diploma of Painting and Drawing with Merit too,  thanks to Mrs Hill who was very patient with me. I  did all this when mum was in the nursing home, I had an exhibition there also.  I looked up to Prince Charles when I  was younger, and liked his art work, when I saw them.

So many thanks to all and my tutor Melanie and Mrs Hill and all of my friends that have helped to sell some of my paintings for cancer, and gave me the chance in my church with great support.  Kind Regards to all.  Anna Maria Valente.