IN THE BEGINNING……………………
Now, where did my Art inspiration come from?? Well, believe it or not, pumpkins! Pumpkins, you are saying!! Yes, pumpkins.
I am an American, having lived in the UK for many years, since a youngster and being an American grew up with all the Holiday traditions, including Halloween.
Four years ago, I decided not to only carve a few pumpkins but paint some white and then painted black arched cats, witches faces and bats on some of the other pumpkins, which the children loved when they came trick or treating!
I have always had an interest in colours and more so, interior decoration. Once I painted these pumpkins, I wondered about joining a local Art Group and, fortunately, there was one in our village. I am sure the Group were aghast when I brought in my Art ‘papers’ which consisted of gesso on the inside of cereal and tea packets! Well, I didn’t want to be wasting good Art paper if I wasn’t going to be any good! That was my logic, at the time! One of my first paintings that sold was four Parisian trees landscape and, yes, on the inside of a cereal packet! The customer knew this, loved it and still bought it!
Since then, I graduated to quality Watercolour paper, you will be glad to hear, and quality Watercolour paints. However, I did start out using Acrylic which I still enjoy using.
Over the last three years, I have watched many YouTube Artists with varying methods on painting, materials and have participated in Workshops, one to one tuitions and then decided to further my education with joining the London College of Art doing the Drawing and Painting Diploma Course with Tutor, Paul Weaver, who has been an amazing Tutor with constructive feedback and encouraging remarks which all weaves itself into the fabric of the paintings. I have one last Assignment to finish.
With Covid in between these last three years, it gave me the opportunity to learn more online, join other Artists on Zoom for lessons and broaden my horizon with experimental paintings, too. Our local Art Group had two Art Exhibitions in 2018 and 2019, being the last before Covid. I participate in many local At and Craft Fairs and had two solo Art Exhibitions lined up for 2020 which were deferred to 2021. The first solo Art Exhibition in Caistor, Lincolnshire went well and sold a couple of paintings and received a commissioned painting. The second solo Art Exhibition was in Sleaford, Lincolnshire where I sold 5 paintings and the last Art Exhibition was in Lincoln, itself, in a well-known Gallery with two other established Artists. None of our works sold which reassured me. Yet, a week later at an Ats & Craft Fairs, I sold 5 paintings. You only need that one person to have their eye drawn to your Artwork. I am never despondent because I have witnessed myself old paintings of mine still sell at some point! So, never despair or give up.
The last few months from July to December 2021 have been full on with Art and Craft Events, Art Exhibitions and my LAC Assignment, all crammed into these few months since we have been allowed to mingle more from July 2021.
What I have learned through the LAC is the support and advice are superb, all the Challenges that are set and I love seeing what comes through on the postings (so wish I had time to participate – I will, again, one day)! The range of Courses that are offered via the College and their very generous timescale in which to finish the Assignments, too. I, personally, thank all the Tutors for their time in helping us Students and also to the Admin team who are all so professional. Thank you.
So, my advice is to keep going, keep learning and the LAC, with Tutors and other Students, it is a great place to lean on for support, ideas, guidance. Never give up, keep going and just ENJOY what you are doing – whatever medium you use.
Not THE END…………………………………..the story still continues
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