Can you tell us a little about yourself and your creative journey so far?
As a child in the UK, I enjoyed being in my own creative world - sketching and painting. Art was the subject I wanted to study after school but it just didn’t seem to be a viable path, so I worked hard to squash that ambition. However, working as a primary school teacher for many years in the UK and Aotearoa, there were plenty of opportunities for creative activities and learning with the children.
What inspired you to study at The Learning Connexion?
I had a creative pang just before turning fifty and encouraged by a teacher friend who had heard great things about The Learning Connexion, I decided it was time to be an art student. In 2022 I enrolled in the Level 4 course as a Distance Delivery learner and knew from day one that I was obsessed with creativity.
What areas of art/creativity are you most passionate about?
I quickly learned that my fascination with paint, colours, layers and texture from numerous house renovation projects could be explored in more depth to describe memories of home in the UK, Irish heritage and connections to settling in Aotearoa. Over the last 4 years I’ve developed a love for working intuitively and expressively on abstract/semi-abstract landscapes and seascapes using acrylic paint and mixed media. I’ve started to add more figurative pieces into this story, working on old wallpapers and excess materials from building projects. Colour often drives the mood or emotion of my work. I am learning more about who I am and expressing a story about the land/sea, my family and everyday life.
What did receiving the scholarship mean to you?
As a part time Distance Delivery student at Level 4 and Level 5, I enjoyed the flexibility of time for creating and studying, the fantastic expertise from mentors/tutors and discussion/feedback opportunities online from students. I knew I was building confidence, engrossed in the creating and thought, I always encourage other people to ‘go for it’, so decided to take my own advice and apply for the Frank Davis Scholarship to study Level 6.
Now, I’m having the best time studying Level 6, so if you’re thinking about applying for a scholarship to make your creativity dreams come true, please go for it.
How has your perspective on what it means to be an artist changed since studying at The Learning Connexion?
Before studying at the Learning Connexion I believed that you would need to work relentlessly on developing art skills to be an artist. However, at The Learning Connexion my art skills have been built up naturally through consistent practice of aspects of creativity I’m interested in.
The courses have opened my mind to understanding who I am, what I believe and how it effects my creativity.
It’s also been extremely helpful to focus on the learning from processes instead of the expectations for final outcomes.
Through developing a creative practice I’ve discovered you can let yourself have huge amounts of fun experimenting with mixed media, make plenty of mistakes to learn from and take risks - be out of your depth, because you have a supportive community around you and they will help you move forward to reach your goals.
I’ve also learnt to embrace some of my insecurities, having been labelled a messy child, I’m now allowing effective messy marks (that are full of energy) to remain in my artworks, along with calmer more relaxing areas. The tutors and mentors skillfully encourage you to find your own unique way of working, ask pertinent questions to help you solve problems and I think this allows you to create your own learning and more naturally discover your style. Recently, I had a ‘surprise’ moment when looking at my artworks and I just knew the work was ‘me’ and that was enough.
What advice would you give to students just starting out?
Create as much as you can and notice if it makes you smile, laugh, or intrigues or surprises you. Learning to be more patient with yourself can be helpful and focusing on the learning and processes rather than a primary focus on outcomes.
If you keep your mind open to new discoveries and if you find enjoyment in your creating you know you’re on the right track.
How do you see creativity shaping your future?
I know painting and sketching will continue to be a big part of my life - it’s far too exciting to ever leave it behind. I’m going to keep my creative goals reasonably relaxed so if a bigger art opportunity comes my way and it feels right, I’ll definitely throw myself into it. Looking to the future, I’d like to organise an interactive painting exhibition in my eighties inspired by eighties music where older artists paint alongside eight year olds - let the fun and mess continue!
Find out more about our Scholarships or studying from home in our Distance Delivery programme.
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