This week’s artistic explorer is Maryanne Old, a Norfolk-born artist and florist. Working from her cottage studio, in many different mediums, she paints seriously and crafts for fun!
Her paintings are in collections worldwide and always have her bright, feminine, natural-world, vibe, that's so recognisable in her work.
Following a severe illness where painting contributed to her recovery, Maryanne now helps others to experience the benefits of creativity by running art and craft classes across Norfolk.
And if you want to bring the benefits of creativity to your workplace, DM me to find out more about our Art After Dark workshops.
Learn more about Louise's Art After Dark workshops
Links To Things Mentioned in the Show
https://maryanneold.com/collections/workshops
Transcript
[00:00:00] it sounds insane to me now, and I did it, Just constantly fighting ending my life. By that point, I'd learn that when the illness upped the ante, The creativity had to up the ante too, almost like an , antidote. Does art do something for her in her life? Oh, yes.
Louise: Hello, and I'm delighted to welcome you to another episode of my podcast, art After Dark, where we explore the transformative impact of the arts on mind, body, and soul. I'm your host, Louise Emily, an artist on a mission to shed light on the power. Of human creativity.
This week's Artistic Explorer is Mary Anne Old, a Norfolk born artist and florist. Working from her cottage studio in many different mediums, she paints seriously and crafts for fun. Her paintings are in collections worldwide and always have a bright, feminine, natural world vibe that's so recognisable in her work.
Following a severe illness where painting contributed to her recovery, mary Anne [00:01:00] now helps others to experience the benefits of creativity by running art and craft classes across Norfolk. As you can see, darkness has fallen. It's time to welcome Mary Anne to the forest.
Welcome!
Hello. Nice to be here. Oh, thank you for coming this evening. You're welcome. Are you all ready to go? Have you packed your bag? Have you got your bag and your snack and your drink? I have everything, everything ready.
Well prepared. so can you share what kind of bag are you bringing to the forest today? I have bought my big round Lulu Guinness straw bag. It's a black and white bag with a black and white monochrome lady on the front with a big red rose in her hair. Beautiful. Absolutely stunning. That's a fantastic one to bring in. And what are you packing inside your snack and drink? Well, it just has to be tin cake. I'm a tin cake girl. . I love all cakes, but I [00:02:00] specifically love millionaire shortbread, but the homemade, big rustic ones with the toffee dripping, and really thick chocolate like.
Really lovely. thick. That would be my thing. That'll keep me going all day. Oh, definitely. I think I might have to pinch a slice of that. Brilliant. Well, you sound like you're completely ready to go into the forest. So, let's hear your first creation.
So, that was a really interesting question all on its own, like, which three creations would you, bring and talk about? And there are so many, that was quite difficult. This specific journey for me now in being a professional artist, which I never set out to do, really started 15 years ago when I suffered depression after having my first child.
And I hadn't painted at that point for quite some time. In fact, My husband didn't actually know I painted because I hadn't done it in the five, six years we've been together at that point. . So, I was just [00:03:00] so down and so suffering with postnatal illness, because, you know, at that time when you've got a newborn baby, you're stuck in the house, but, they're in bed at half past six, aren't they?
Yeah. If you're lucky, yeah, well, in at 11, but you know. And so that evening time I suffered so much anxiety that I could. Not relaxed. I was just constantly in a shortness of breath, just panicking. And then I started to become quite fixated on cleaning everything. And I think really, it was just in an effort to keep busy.
I could not just sit and relax. And then getting fed up because I did so much cleaning , it was a spiral and I just made this decision right in the evenings paint a picture because it'll give you something busy to do.
I bought myself, five or six different colors of oil and a canvas. I painted the Indian Sunset. It's a big okra, yellow, [00:04:00] dark sunset, which has an Indian fishing boat set in the middle across the sea and , sunlight is coming down.
It's a really nice painting. It's quite large. I don't know that it's. The best painting I've ever done, in fact, it's not the best painting I've ever done, but it was the painting that started this particular journey, because then from that one, I just didn't stop. since that painting, there has been no time where I've taken time off creativity in the last 15 years.
It's just been so constant that it's become huge. I mean, I can completely relate to that because that's what happened to me , you know, in a really sort of dark place. it wasn't really necessarily that conscious.
It just led me to paint and then haven't. What was it that triggered painting? Was there any consciousness for you? Because you obviously had to make the effort to go out and buy the materials? . I think that came naturally I think I felt that drawing wasn't gonna be enough.
[00:05:00] I really needed to get indulged in it. Yeah. And I've always liked oil, so I primarily worked in oil previously to that when I was painting quite a lot when I lived in Greece so the natural ebb was to get oil.
I never used to paint it with brushes. I always painted with my fingers and I love the feeling of it. I still do. I still love that creaminess. I love it. So I think I subconsciously ebb towards finding that feeling with my hands, with my fingers. I wanted to just lose myself in doing something so that I wasn't anxious worrying about looking after a child again tomorrow that didn't feel like I could cope with.
And did you find yourself looking forward to it, beforehand?
Yeah, almost like how you get when you have a good book. Yeah. You know, you can't wait to actually hanker down and start reading the story again, because you're into it. so I was looking forward to it. [00:06:00] throughout the day and so once you'd created, what happened to the anxiety and the sleep after you started doing all the painting?
I wouldn't say it was a miracle cure. But it was very helpful. It gave me some moments of, respite, know how when you get into that paint zone where you've lost everything. Yeah, it doesn't come often does it, even now if you're painting a lot to get to that zone is.
It's tough to get to even if you're well. Into flow, yeah. , yeah, it's hard. Something always travels across your mind. And it's very hard to get into a zone where you think of nothing but painting.
Yeah. I managed to achieve it a few times. But those few times even were really helpful. But what it did was. It set off a train of thought where I then started thinking about Other things I might paint when I finish this one, or maybe I could have a go at that. Or when I was out in the car just feeling, Oh God, you know, I've got to go to Sainsbury's.[00:07:00]
I'm not going to cope with him in there. My mind started to Oh, I like that scene. I wonder if I could, you know, that creativity took over some, not all, but some of the negative thoughts I was having in my young mummy life.
Yeah. It was just a little piece of relief. At first. Yeah, it gave you that outlet to feel something of you into. Yeah, it took a long time, but it started to calm, and I managed to take all of my, projection of feelings, from this negative, stuck in a messy house, permanently cleaning, to my mind thinking about creation instead.
So there was a very slow but definite ebb towards my thoughts being more creative and less really about control. Because cleaning came down to controlling the environment so I wasn't [00:08:00] upset. And of course in controlling the environment I was actually causing myself major stress. Because you can't control an environment or keep it very clean when you have tiny kids.
No, absolutely. And so you're losing all the time. So in creation, I started to win a little bit. Yeah, I never thought of it like that. You describe it so beautifully in that there's two things. You are creating something. So in a sense, you are actually in control of that canvas of where those paints, you know, there's thousands of decisions that go into a single painting.
So you know that there's an element of control that comes with it. But equally, making art is about letting go, letting you go. So this interesting thing about, you know, those two things, which I'd never thought of it like that before. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And that just helped a little. Yeah. And obviously, as time went on, that started to help a lot.
So that painting was the beginning of this last 15 years that has become from that [00:09:00] anxious new mom. Now that baby is six foot two , you know? Yeah. And no trouble at all, . That whole 15 year cycle, of course art started for me younger than that. But this last 15 years has been for me.
poignant. From where that started to where I've taken it now are, just status spheres away from the little girl who used to Draw Holly hobby, you know, so and it gave you in a time of darkness. It gave you hope. Yeah, absolute lifeline for me. I don't want it to sound crass or dramatic, but I'd become so depressed and so anxious I lost my mother to cancer when , that baby was two. So I didn't cope well with that. I felt like my life imploded and I just was not coping.
Creativity played[00:10:00] a huge role in me keeping going through those days, because I think it would have been very different. Yeah, I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your mom at such a, an important time yeah that was that was tough and poor mom was only 66 when she died.
I always remember saying to her just a few days before she died I said, are you frightened mum? And she went, no, I'm not frightened, but I'm pissed off.
Because I've just got things to do. She like, she wasn't ready. Not only was I already so unwell, with anxiety and depression, I couldn't, in my mind, have any justification for it. I was angry because she didn't want to die. She wasn't ready.
She was sitting there just like I'm sitting here right now. You know, really quite with it. When someone dies , who is pissed off, they're [00:11:00] dying and wasn't ready, you know, taken too soon.
You're just left with this anger. I was just angry. That she'd been taken and that she didn't get to live her life. and so, you add anger and grief to postnatal depression and. I think my days were numbered. I didn't want to keep going anymore.
The painting and the creating was the thing that was still your haven. where I think that was the only thing that I kept going for, because I was so anxious some days., it sounds insane to me now, and I did it, I had huge pieces of paper that my 24 hour day into 15 minute cycles so that all I had to do was get through 15 minutes and then I would mark that down in my head.
To constantly tell myself, okay, you did another 15. Well done. You know how when something's stressful and you cut it down into bite sized chunks. I was [00:12:00] so bad, I had to cut it down into 15 minute intervals. So that I could just tell myself, okay, we got through that 15 minutes.
You didn't think you would. You did. Now you're going to go through another 15 minutes. You can do that. Just constantly fighting ending my life. Oh my goodness. On 15 minute intervals. Wow. And I was like it for so long.
On living on 15 minute intervals. And half past five. That 15 minutes from quarter past five to half past five was often the worst 15 minutes of the day because my husband would come home from work at half past five, by half past four I was starting to not cope. So quarter past five, that would be my last 15 minutes of coping in the house with the children.
And if he didn't come in the door exactly on time or just before I was losing it by the time he came in the door, to the point where I couldn't even speak. And he would [00:13:00] come in and I would literally look at him and go straight up the stairs and shut the bedroom door. That's how bad it was.
I can't imagine it now. If he didn't come home till midnight I'd be like, Oh, he's a bit late. Well, that's because you're such a prolific creator. I'm busy. Exactly. But, I've never ever forgotten how bad things were when I was ill. So when others are struggling, I completely get it. you've been there.
Oh, have I been there? It is the worst thing. I've been ill with all sorts of physical illnesses. Nothing is as bad as severe postnatal depression.
Honestly, it's the worst thing ever. The great thing is, is that you, even in that darkness, you took action.
And then that led to another action and another action and another action. Just that one tiny step is all you can manage one day. Yeah. From that first [00:14:00] painting, you said it started to open up thoughts about other things that you could make or paint how did that then start to, to move forward?
As well as painting paintings, I painted. So much furniture. Which I really enjoyed.
Then I started selling it I then made a little Facebook page and it was called Badgers, my nickname's Badger. That gives arts and crafts for all occasions. Because I would make little crafts or make little things.
Some mums in the school would come and say, can you do Annabelle's name and I'd charge 10 pounds for it, so I started investing in some nicer crayons and some nicer pens and some nicer paper. You know how you just build, don't you? Oh yeah, yeah. Build up. Yeah, those trips to the art supply store get quite expensive. I have to stop myself going in there. I spent an absolute fortune. Started to take over rooms.
And then I moved house, and I became really [00:15:00] unwell again.
By that point, five years in, I'd learn that when the illness upped the ante, The creativity had to up the ante too, almost like an , antidote. Luckily I've got a good strength in mind to always think, okay, try to match it beat it, not let it just take me.
Yeah. So I then started to heavily. paint, but my body would feel tired. So I felt like I wanted to do something where I could sit comfortably to do it.
And that's when I then taught myself to paint with watercolour on YouTube. But I did it on the sofa. And, you know, once you're a painter and a drawer. You've only then got a master how another paint works. It's really not too difficult.
The drawing and the ability to find light and shade and composition, it's the same across the board.
The paint will just work differently and how you use it. I often think of it as like learning a language once you've learned one. Once you've learned one, it's pretty easy. Yeah, [00:16:00] it works. Although I have to say you must be much more patient than I am because I've had some frustrating moments with watercolour.
I think watercolour is most definitely the most frustrating, medium of all of them. A lot more unforgiving than oil or acrylic. Yeah. Even though acrylic's water based, it's still a little easier to cover up mistakes.
But I've just learned to be okay with the mistakes. That's something. I see a lot now that I teach is people really afraid to make mistakes and afraid to look silly . Yeah. And of course, they don't look silly and mistakes happen to everyone, even the best painters. In fact, if they say that they don't, they're lying.
Yeah. Well, we all know there's loads of artists who are very famous who used to paint over there. Paintings all the time, we all do it on fire. Get annoyed with them. Yeah. Yeah. They go wrong. Yeah. They go wrong.
Part of it. You either keep going. Or [00:17:00] you give up, but you're not going to stop them going wrong. They go wrong, you drop a paintbrush on it or, you spill something or the dog jumps up. Something happens, you know, they go wrong.
Yeah, exactly. , I think it's a good time now to move on to your second creation. Okay, so. Creation number two is , a little foxglove pink flower. it's a watercolour painting that I did during
that very... warm summer of the first lockdown. Yes. And at that stage, I was still really just a hobby page. I would make lots of things.
But really only for friends, or do elaborate parties for the kids, fun stuff like that.
And I started painting watercolour and I got quite good at it quite quickly, and one day during the lockdown, I got a message from a lady who runs a page called Akarula Art . and she said, I just wanted to tell you that.
Your bees and flowers are phenomenal and you [00:18:00] really should be selling professionally. And I was like, wow. She said, I work for the BBC and I make cards,
in my spare time because I enjoy crafting would you mind if I printed some and I'll send them to you so you can see what they're like in cards and maybe you should make cards. I said, yes, of course you can print them off. So, she made them into beautiful cards it was so exciting to see them in a product, yeah. So she said, whatever you do, don't waste your talent and just find how you're going to
So that's how that started. The house was called Trinity. And the foxglove grew there. So that's why it's the Trinitiki foxglove collection. And I created this entire collection of homeware all with the little pink foxglove on it.
Which was just so exciting. I'd never ever seen my work turned into something.
So that started that. Then, everything arrived here, and I started [00:19:00] selling it. And I very quickly realised, I liked making it, I really didn't like selling it, packing it up and posting it.
That was very dull. Yeah. And that took way more of my time than I enjoyed. So, I started to sell a little bit more art. And then someone said, what do you think about teaching art?
And I went, Oh no, I don't think I'd be able to do that. I've no idea , how I teach to paint. And then I thought one night, YouTube again. Where were you educated? YouTube. Cambridge! There's nothing you can't find. The Royal, Institute of YouTube.
So, I thought, well I'll go on YouTube and see how other people teach how to paint, started doing a few classes just at home,
time went on and I did more pictures, the art got better, more of it sold. I became more and more well. Once I'd got the smallest child off to school so that I had between nine and three free.
Every day, my life and my mental [00:20:00] health just took off. Yeah.
it started that way and the foxglove is the thing that made that lady talk to me and made me first go, Okay, how can I look at this differently? How could I make that more? You know, what could I do? And even though actually retail was where I thought I would be in designing things and selling them.
It's become much more teaching based what I do now because that's what I really enjoy. I didn't enjoy sales or retail very much. So, it took me to this point. Yeah. It's so lovely to see that it just opened up this next level of possibilities when you have that contact from the lady all around the Fox Club.
All around someone just encouraging me and saying, you're really good at this, Marianne, because I don't think I was. Yeah. Believing in you. And for someone to just say, you're really good at this. Was just amazing. Cause I know your belief, like I said in the [00:21:00] introduction, you really believe that art is for everyone.
If they want it. Yeah, yeah. I don't believe it's a God given talent. I think it's a skill you learn. You just need to want to learn it. Yeah. So if you want to learn. You'll be able to do it. If you would love the idea, then I can show you how you can do it.
Most people just don't believe they can do it. And some people are of the belief you have to be born with it. Well, no, you don't. I think you might be born with a will to want to from an earlier age. I used to just love drawing from being little. But you might get into your 50s or even 60s and things, I'd really like to learn to draw.
Fine! You're never too old and it doesn't have to come from when you were little. Yeah. And your workshops, mainly on beginners. So what is it that you enjoy about those workshops?
I don't like to sound cosmic because I'm not particularly, you know, let's like a jostic type of person, but I'm [00:22:00] not joking. almost every single class I drive home from with the most massive smile on my face because It is sheer joy for me to watch people who more often than not, turn up often on their own, sometimes with a friend, always nervous, always thinking, oh, I'm not gonna be any good at this.
Up on my easel. I have the painting of what we're doing that day. So many newbies. Will come in, look at the painting and they think they can't do it from the offset. now that I have so many regulars, regulars will spot them and they'll go, Oh, you will.
I thought that when I came in, you know, they'll be like, Oh no, you will be able to do it. And then I know I'm never going to vote. I don't have an artistic point of my body. I'm only here because she made me come. I get that. So. and I just laugh.
honestly, everyone thinks they don't have [00:23:00] a creative bone in their body. They've never picked a pencil up. They would not know where to start. Okay, let's dispel that now. You don't need to know where to start. That's my job. I'll tell you where to start. Can you hold the paintbrush? Yes.
We're halfway there, okay? Just breathe. You're fine. And then, ego kicks in. So, I see a lot of ego. and not necessarily ego in a really negative way. Ego in a, I'm frightened to look silly way. You know how when people learn to speak languages and they're just embarrassed to go the whole hog and even do the accent because they think that they sound like idiots.
Yeah. But actually. To that native speaker that you might be trying to speak to you. They don't think you sound like an idiot at all. I'm that native speaker. I don't think they look silly. So I will say to them, if you were any good at this, you're in the wrong class. Yeah, exactly. That's the point. That's why you've got a beginner's class.
You're not meant to be any good at this. If not, leave the class now. You're meant to be bad. This [00:24:00] is for beginners. It's okay. Giving them permission to just make a bad painting. Yes. I give them permission to be rubbish and often then they'll really surprise themselves. I'm actually quite proud of that.
Yeah. Like it's brilliant. I'm literally just how you are with a three year old and they, that's wonderful. I'll go, you need to put that on the fridge. You really, really need to show that to everybody.
That cannot just go in a book and be hidden away. They're like, I can't believe I did it. I went, you see, you can do it. You just need to know how. Yeah, exactly. When you come back next time. None of this, I can't do it.
And they've already booked before they've left class. To get on the next one.
Last Christmas.
I was running a Christmas Robins class, and, , I had a man come in on his own, , which, I don't get that many men, and often if men come, they come with their partner. , but he came in on his own. I would say he was only in his mid to late 40s.
And he looked a nervous wreck. . He painted a [00:25:00] lovely Robin. I said it would be lovely to see you again. I really try to make a big effort, especially with men,
, and he was very quiet, , and afterwards. One of the other ladies came up to me, and she said, he's just getting himself back out and about because he lost his wife, tragically. So he's just trying to find something to rebuild his life.
Bless him, I could just tell and I didn't see him again, so I felt like, what a shame, he didn't come back. Didn't think much about it and, , last week in my class up in North Norfolk, in he came.
With a little girlfriend in tow. Aww. He looks so happy. She was a big personality. So he's the quieter one. And , she was really fabulous. And they both came to the class. Together. Oh, that's lovely. And they drew beautifully.
And , they've now both booked in and they're , in next week's class as well. So, you know, it took six months, but he came back , and now they're [00:26:00] following that little journey together, it was just so lovely to see . That tiny little flame is there for them to follow something in the creative arts in order to burn something else in their souls that they need because they need something in their life. I always say art, especially for children, like don't push it because it is like a match flame.
You could nurture it really carefully and it will grow into a huge fire or you could literally put everything on it. And put it out. Yeah. A lot of people will say, Oh, my daughter's really into art and she's really, really good. What do you think I should be doing with her?
And I'm like, I think you should just leave her alone. Give her pens and paper if she asks for it and let her do what she wants. Don't tell her what to do. Don't tell her she should be trying harder with something else or she's really good at that.
Try that. Nothing. Just. Leave her alone. No, but I love the attitude of kids. So , my youngest, he's five and the teacher said to [00:27:00] him, Oh, one day you'll be an artist like mummy. He just looked straight at her and said, I'm already an artist. Oh yes, he is. I just thought that's so good in the, you know, whether he's creating every day or not,
he already is. Yeah, he already is. My kids hate art and craft. I'm not sure how long mine will carry on. They're wasted on me. That was a surprise to me because I hadn't read an artist. Yeah, but I hadn't forced it. He'd just been around it. probably come downstairs after you put them to bed, seeing me drawing.
It's just sort of sprinkled there. So I totally agree with that whole thing of you just don't have to push it. They'll find their own way. Yeah. I'll see what you think about this, but someone, I can't remember who it was now, but they basically believed in making it easy for them to trip over it in a way. They'd have this big long table and at mealtimes, if they wanted to, while the parents were finishing cooking.
they had lots of crayons and things just about. I think that's a really [00:28:00] nice idea. Yeah. Because often I know as an artist, if all my paints are out when I sit down, I'm going to draw because I'll pick it up just like you pick up your phone and scroll. , I'll pick up and
, I'll do something.
If they're not out, I'll scroll on my phone, because I've got to make that extra effort to get them out, giving that ability to access them very easily definitely would introduce it happening more. Yeah, exactly. I've got, a sketchbook that's only for , being in the sitting room, so it's right next to where I sit, which is why I do so much drawing, and the pencils are there, and I don't ever take it out of the sitting room, it's my sketchbook for the TV.
Just like a songwriter, isn't it? . Yeah. And you don't want to forget it. comes up so much in these conversations. It's how do you capture it in its purest form? It doesn't have to be perfect, but especially if you've been running around all day, yeah, because if you've been out and about, doing stuff and you've seen something, you've maybe even taken a photograph of the way [00:29:00] the light falls on a leaf or something and then that's the moment they're in bed, you can sit there and you can really think about it.
Yeah.
And so have you worked with people, not just beginners, but with people who, suffer from certain conditions? Mm, lots.
One of my long term clients in North Norfolk has Alzheimer's. And, hers is a really precious story because... I didn't actually know that she had Alzheimer's when she came to class. And the lady that she came with, a lovely lady called Pat, I thought Pat was her daughter and she was bringing her mum.
to class, and the first class they came to was also that Robin's class last year. People think that arts and crafts is for Christmas and it's like puppies. They're not just for Christmas. It's the amount of people that come for Christmas. Like Christmas gives them a pass to get creative.
Oh, you can do all year round, you know. But so yeah, trying to teach [00:30:00] people, no, we have four seasons of the year. You can enjoy not just one, but yeah, they came for the Robbins class
And Pat then told me that, no, she wasn't her daughter.
She was her carer. And... Mags is an Alzheimer's patient and Pat looks after her and she brings her to art class because, lost her husband. And, has found it very hard to cope without him. And so for four years she hadn't really left the house until she started coming to class.
Wow. And I think the lovely thing about class for her is that, yes, if you want to come to class and you want to learn watercolour, and you want to progress, that is there for you.
But if you want to come to every class every month and never be a very good painter, just eat cake and enjoy yourself and have a little paintbrush in your hand. And have a social group to be part of and somewhere where you feel safe and comfortable and encouraged. you can have that too. You don't have to progress.
These beginner [00:31:00] classes are designed for one off drop ins as well as if you came for the whole year, you'd have learned by the end of the year a big set of skills that we can move on with. And if you practice throughout the month. So they're designed in such a way that you can progress with them or you can sit exactly wherever you're comfortable.
Mags's daughters, have sent pictures to me of her sitting in the garden with her little sun hat on, just trying to draw a vase of flowers in front of her.
And her daughters are just thrilled, because... it purely is creation and coming to class has given her something to live for.
She has a slice of cake, she has a cup of tea, she's gotten to know how that runs and she always goes home with a painting. She thoroughly enjoys looking at them.
And she's also been doing a little bit of art at home throughout the day. And will she ever be a professional painter? Yeah. Does [00:32:00] art do something for her in her life? Oh, yes. Yeah. It's been magnificent for her. It's fantastic. And that is, for her, everything.
And for me to watch that, everything, it's just the loveliest thing. I have been in tears with some of the messages I've received from people who have lost husbands, lost their confidence, come out of breakdowns, lost a child, just so many reasons why some of these ladies and gents, but majority are ladies, , decided, I really need to do something for me.
In my life, a group I could be part of, something I can do, learn a new hobby. Everyone is more than aware these days of mental health awareness, and more than aware that the arts are a great, road into well being. , I think people are really searching for that at the moment.
If you'd have told me, five years ago, I'd have been teaching old ladies to paint I'd have laughed
[00:33:00] and I couldn't love it anymore. And I couldn't be more inspired. By them. And I honestly couldn't be prouder because the effort needed when you're elderly, you're not very mobile, you perhaps don't drive anymore, or you're too afraid to drive that far. Let alone turn up in a class on your own where you don't know anybody.
Often in a pub. Because I work in a couple of pubs, and for women of that age to walk in pubs on their own is strange. Because, they come from a time they weren't allowed to, so, Before they've even got there, they've fought a huge battle to make that happen. Even just to book a class online for people who are not tech friendly.
And they do it! Yeah. And I've got little 82 year old Brenda, she's a bit of a celebrity on my page because everyone loves seeing her.
She came to me nearly three years ago for a Christmas wreath workshop and has come to every single class, art, [00:34:00] craft, drawing, every class. She's come to since every single one.
And. If you talk to her about what it's done for her life, it's just given her something to look forward to every month.
And she just loves it. Yeah. And, and I love her because she's just the most lovely, lovely person. Yeah. And she enjoys her tea and cake. She's made new friends. Everyone knows her.
And she's really gotten very good at Watercolor as well. , yeah. You know what it really good artist, what it makes me think of is, you know, when we were saying even with ourselves trying to help us to make it easy.
Yeah. There's still so many and too many barriers in place. Like, wouldn't it be great if there were so many more things, like when you go into the city or into towns that almost made it impossible to not do art? , that would just be such a better world to live in.
Yeah, I think so. And I think, obviously with the state of our education system and the arts really not being, [00:35:00] funded. And looked at particularly in younger life, there's so much less of it around. Yeah. , and it's not cheap. I have a free space on every one of my classes, that goes to someone who's suffering from loneliness.
And, all of the venues that I work with support that, I still don't fill it all of the time because when they're cut off and lonely, no one's telling them about it. Yeah, exactly. They don't find me. No. So I do advertise with Age Concern and Age Concern do send my information out in their bumps when they do things.
But that's tech based and many elderly people don't necessarily find that or know where to look or would look so it's a space that doesn't always get filled, which is a bit of a shame. But I mean, I'd love to be able to offer those classes for free to people.
not just one person. Well, you think about all these businesses that are desperately trying to give back to their local communities. That would be a great [00:36:00] initiative. Provide the money to provide the art supplies.
To have free art classes. Well, any businesses out there, get in touch. Just fund one. Fund one so I can run it for free. Because I would love to be able to reach people my classes are 25 a ticket.
It's not huge amounts of money. But I still know that that's... more expensive than some can afford. We've got the space for it. Yeah, exactly. So get in touch if anyone wants to do a bit of an experiment with us, and we'll do a combo with Marianne and Art After Dark and whatever your business is.
So yeah, get in touch. Brilliant. Right, well, it's time to move on to creation number three. Okay, so I have written a small book.
Yes. This is a magnificent thing for me and I picked it as my number three, is I am doing my first ever solo exhibition in John Lewis I'm painting, in oil and they're all on copper canvases. And they [00:37:00] are magnificent, even if I say so myself. No, they are. I'll be there. Yeah it's a vision I had in my head for about the last 18 months and to make it happen has been phenomenal. It's a biographical study of my life when I lived in Greece. And You know how art exhibitions are generally... white galleries with art on the walls. They're dull.
It's so dull. and I'm not surprised people who are not into art don't really fancy going. I don't like it and I like art. Yeah, it's intimidating. It's intimidating.
That's the mindset of the majority that are going in there who don't understand art and don't feel like they're in the right place. So I always knew if I ran a solo exhibition, I never wanted.
The art gallery goers, to look at the exhibition and leave not understanding it. I wanted them to literally understand it to the point where chapter and verse, they are absorbed in that story. There's nothing about that [00:38:00] painting they're not getting by the time they're finished. And in order to do that, I wanted to create a story.
But not just of my paintings. I wanted them to take that further and actually create a story for it. So this is a biographical study. 11 stories, , about some of the poignant times of my nine years living in Athens.
There are funny ones, sad ones, shocking ones. You've got the good, the bad, and the ugly. And every painting will make sense by the time you've read the short story. But for me, I've never been able to spell. I've always, always been bad at grammar. Just doesn't compute in my head.
I just don't get it. and that's always held me back. And I've always felt a little, not ashamed, or maybe there is a little bit of shame, but definitely embarrassment. About my ability to write. and since having a child in learning to. deal [00:39:00] with him , and his SEND difficulties at school, I realized I had that too. So, Dr.
Marianne has diagnosed herself as being, probably dyslexic, I think I have ADHD, if I'm honest. And diagnosing myself, Dr. Mary Anne has given me the permission to not feel ashamed of it.
you know, I'm 50 years old, not going to spell well now. In fact, I would say since spell check on my phone, I spell better than ever. Exactly. Technology's there for you. So writing a book I can write how I talk. Yeah. Spelling it, punctuating it, or making it sound, like it's written well.
Oh no, not good at that. But I have a really good friend called Jackie Fierce Eagle. I used to work for her many, many years ago. And she's a professor at the university. So she is ecstatic that I'm doing this and she, offered to help me put my [00:40:00] stories together. So what I did is I wrote every one of my stories. I took them to her and I felt safe taking them to her because I didn't feel embarrassed her reading them and them looking really bad.
because I knew she wouldn't ever judge me in a bad way. And then she's gone through every one of them and written them so that they are
Punctuated and spelt correctly. When I write things on the blog I've given up worrying about them not being written correctly. And most of my followers don't care yeah. Well, it's genuinely you though, isn't it? Genuinely, I wrote it and most of them are really okay with that. Yeah. but the book, I just felt it going to print and also in such a prestigious place. I felt the book really should be spelt correctly and grammatically correct.
really, if you help Yeah, that's the power of vulnerability, isn't it? Yeah, they love to help.
Yeah.
That book and this exhibition is pinnacle of everything I've been doing the last 15 [00:41:00] years. And, , being a solo exhibited artist, I guess is a bit of a dream. Yeah. And, , it's my little moment. And I just feel like, you know what, if nothing ever comes of it, if I never sell a painting, if...
It's complete flop and nobody likes it. I've already won just from the chance to actually produce this. It's just been a magnificent thing. And I'll always be able to say, I had a solo exhibition in John Lewis opened by the Lord Mayor. Yeah, well, exactly.
Well, I can't wait to come. You need to be there.
Actually the framer, Lee
I said to him, I just feel like I already won because this is like the dream. And he went, I think you're going to find this is just the beginning.
No, I agree. Because that's the pattern that you've shown all throughout your, the last 15 years going from 15 minute increments all the way to your solo exhibition , and having written a book. So I totally agree. I think we've, not seen the pinnacle yet.
What else can she do? World domination with my [00:42:00] paintbrush.
There's some lovely stories in there. I've really enjoyed talking to you today. Thank you for lighting the path in such a beautiful way that only you could. And congratulations. I now officially, can say that you're an art of the dark illuminati.
So, you have two duties before we can let you leave the forest completely. Okay, miss, what do I do? The first one is we need you to share just some kind of way that people can get a little taste of your artistic expressions, whether that's painting or making things, what can they do that's easy, accessible, just so they can get started.
And then the second one. is who could you recommend who would come into the forest with me and share their experiences? Okay, so the first thing is book a class. And then I'll show you. everything you need to do. But if you can't book a class, go to the range and go get some paper and some [00:43:00] pens that you really like and start drawing and go on a YouTube video.
And person that I recommend you talk to is the loveliest lady. Her name is Sarah Oxley
and she does these beautiful floral pattern pictures. And they're really stunning yes, I know. She does beautiful work.
Also had one hell of a life for different reasons to me. but really gone through some stuff. And I think artists have really been through the mill often make.
Great art, don't they, because it's really coming from a place where they are searching for some kind of solace and she's definitely one of those. She's had a hell of a time so I would recommend you talk to her. She's a great, great girl. That'd be fantastic. Thank you so much for coming today and sharing all of your wisdom and your experiences.
And I wish you all the best on your way home from the forest. Thank you. I'm going to put pata through on my [00:44:00] past now. Bye.
Louise: I really hope that you've enjoyed our conversation in the forest today. Remember to tag me on socials@artafterdark.co. If you've been inspired to create or to share any thoughts on this episode I'd absolutely love to hear from you and to see what you've been up to.
You can find all images and details of the creations we discuss in the show notes on my website, louise emily.com.