Introducing this local watercolour artist from Kirton.

 

I am originally a Kent girl but my husband and I moved to Suffolk from Tunbridge Wells with our two sons when they were young and we’ve never looked back. The space, beauty and way of life in Suffolk has given us a wealth of opportunities to grow as a family. We desperately wanted to be as close to the Suffolk coastline as possible.

 

The sea has played an important role in our lives. My husband and I first met literally on the sea bed! We were both members of a local British Sub Aqua Club. At the time I was a sports diver and he was an advanced diver, so he was often my “dive buddy”... and the rest is history. 

 

To have Felixstowe so close to us is a dream come true. When I first visited the high street I could hardly believe how I could walking down Hamilton Road and at the same time see the sea in the distance, down towards Bent Hill. 

 

In my younger days I travelled widely throughout Europe and Canada working within either the travel industry or living and working as a part of a native family. One of my most adventurous memories are of backpacking using the Alaskan Marine Highway to reach Alaska and finding myself following in the footsteps of the gold rush pioneers. I soon discovered that I had been totally mislead in my school geography lessons into thinking that Alaska was covered in snow all year round and that Canada was full of lumberjacks, especially when my friend and I were in shorts and t-shirts and didn’t once meet a lumberjack!

 

I have worked throughout my life being both a mum and a housewife and desperately tried to find the time and opportunities to create artwork and paintings that would give me “time out”. I wanted the pleasure to paint, and a chance to sell my creations to the public. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity of placing some of my artwork in the local historical houses and famous castles in the surrounding areas of the Kent countryside. 

 

I love colour, happy tones and also creating paintings that capture treasured memories and characters who have a real presence. I love that moment when I hand my completed, commissioned artwork over to a customer whose face speaks volumes and lights up. At that moment I am happy; I have successfully captured the true character and memory for them to take home, to keep and enjoy or to present as a gift.

 

Thanks to a promise from my husband made some time ago, I am now finally in the process of occupying my first and very own space. This will be an art studio which replaces the dining room table and the struggle trying to store my work somewhere safely in a busy family home. How lucky am I?

 

I think many working men and woman will relate to the struggles of trying to juggle family and working life whilst also being of a creative mind. It is very difficult finding the courage to believe in yourself and to follow your dream, and to take that time out away from the demands of family life. Spending time and money on ourselves is not always an easy thing to do. Our minds race away on other priorities. But, like me, I hope that at some point the passion to create artwork does come round to those who wait until the time is right. 

 

I am now a watercolour artist currently concentrating on my pet portraits. The demand for my work during the recent Christmas period was incredible. I paint commissioned paintings for people throughout Suffolk and overseas as far afield as France, Spain, Germany, USA, New Zealand and Australia. This creative time has been worth the wait and I’m very grateful to those who have already enjoyed taking my artwork home with them, and to those whose orders are currently in progress and waiting for their paintings to arrive soon. 

I am in my element!

 

Wishing you all well, 

Julie.