If someone had told me two years ago that I had talent and made lovely things my response would have been, “ Ahh sure it’s not that good.” or “It’s easy. Anyone could do it.”
It's called The Imposter Syndrome.
Having pride in my work and accepting compliments is something that has taken me years to come to terms with; to say “Thank you.” instead of feeling embarrassed and wanting to hide.
I’ve always painted, but it was never a career option at school. Get an office job. Get a public relations job. Earn a steady wage. So painting remained my hobby.
Painting is good for the soul. It helps organise thoughts, zone out, relax and ease worries. I highly recommend it. I take classes and no matter how little confidence people have in their abilities, art classes always end up with smiles on faces and something to feel good about.
Les Papillons became a reality when after an unsuccessful operation for arthritis on my “painting” hand left me unable to write properly and unable to hold a large brush/palette knife. It was a low point. My head felt as if it was full of static electricity and butterflies. I needed to paint to quieten a very busy brain!
I found that painting small was a way of limiting the pain whilst keeping me sane, but what do you do with small paintings? Really small. A centimetre or so in size? Wear them! Again easier said than done. There was no one else at the time doing it. I loved miniature portraits from the 17th century. I wanted to reinterpret that idea for modern life, so I did.
Landscapes, garden scenes and pet portraits are my favourite, but not everyone wants to wear art, so I looked for ways to make art practical. Cushions, tea towels, bags. Those were my first products. All locally printed and made. Crockery and clothing came next. The crockery is all thrown on a wheel and painted individually. The fabrics I use are bamboo, sustainable cotton, Irish linen, sumptuous velvet and materials made from recycled plastics and wood pulp.
There's a new outdoor range coming. Keep an eye out for it on Facebook
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