me is the fact that it opened my
eyes to my surroundings. Once I
started painting in earnest, I felt as
though I had spent most of my life
walking around with my eyes shut.
Since childhood, I have always
drawn and painted. At school I did
well at art. I was one of those nerdy
goody two shoes kids who used to get
their work hung in the school corridor.
I didn’t do much artistically when I
left school, apart from some weird
abstract stuff during my teens; but I
did maintain a strong interest in art.
Then I guess my ‘career’ began after
I had my second child, and decided I
needed to have an interest other than
nappy changing and domestic duties.
I started by sitting outside and
drawing with charcoal; then I made
a habit of drawing something every
day using pencils. The cat, the dog,
the children, farm buildings – anything
that would stay still long enough! I
got some watercolours and began
splashing around with them, then
moved on to oils. I plucked up the
courage to enter a few shows in our
local area. I started winning awards
and people began to buy my work.
In my husband’s family home there
were some amazing pastel paintings.
His great aunt was Janet Cumbrae-
Stewart, a notable pastellist. I found
a box of Greyhound pastels in a
newsagent (really hard, chalky things
that I remembered using at primary
school). I started to smudge around
and experiment with them, and that
was it. Pastels became my favourite
medium. I love the fact that there is
no ‘drying’ time with pastels, so I can
keep working uninterrupted for lengthy
periods of time. I also like to think that
if someone looks at my work in 100
years, the colours will be exactly the
same as the day they were applied.
I will have a go at any subject, with
the exception of flowers! I am not good
at flowers. It’s hard to pick a favourite
subject ... but it is probably water. It
is a challenge to get a realistic and
convincing effect. I have done many
kiana
(Kiana)
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