My story
I am nearing retirement age, but I feel I am only just getting started.
Art and design have always been in my life, from being in my parents house, drawing and painting to now having my ceramics in several local galleries and enjoying every minute of my job. Even when I feel under pressure, I am still so happy I am able to do this for a living.
Its not been a typical artistic path that I have followed but I have had enormous luck. I was lucky that at a parent and child after school art session, my daughter’s teacher introduced me to a college access course in Art, at Weston-super-Mare college. A college I would eventually go back to and do my teacher training placement in.
At the end of the first year, my tutor Jackie, had me fill out university forms and before I even knew it, I was at the University of the West of England, enrolled on a Fine Art in context Degree course. 3 years later I was presented with my BA certificate at Bristol Cathedral. What a great privilege that was. I was then awarded a bursary to do a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education training.
But luck was mostly on my side having met my amazing husband, when I was 16. He not only supported me in exploring my creative side, he actively encouraged it. He helped enormously with everything a family of 3 growing children needed. I did go into teaching, but it was short lived, I didn’t enjoy city centre college life. A few years later after having just lost my job. I visited my local craft centre and they had a small studio, on the side of a 19th century barn for rent. Encouraged again by Steve, I took up residence there, selling my art work, and teaching watercolour painting
Things don’t always go to plan and personal issues and a bereavement made us want to change our world, so we ran away to the seaside. We started a business selling ours and other peoples, arts and crafts, We had a year at a visitor centre, 4 years in a little shop in Hayle and 8 years in a shop in Polperro. Now my darling husband has retired, we no longer have the commitment of a business taking all our time. We have freedom, freedom to spend more time with family and friends and each other. I am still making, mainly because I can’t stop. I don’t know what to do with myself if I’m not making. So I’m playing with mud in my garage and loving it. Hopefully if you visit Cornwall you will spot my little pots and bowls with cottages on. Maybe you could think of me in one of those little houses, beavering away, making pots with lots of love and happiness x
Janice x