Autumn Welcome

This month I have been reflecting on my journey within the art world and as I was writing notes for this blog entry I was thinking about past tutors, who without their encouragement, knowledge and guidance shared with me, I know I wouldn’t be here, in my studio living my dream of painting and creating original artwork full time. One of the most defining moments was meeting the amazing talented mother and daughter duo, who created Joedaisy Studio in Mapledurham, Berkshire, Carolina Hulse and Cat Croxford.

I was working in London in a very stressful job and my service manager suggested that I find something to do in my free time that has nothing to do with meeting anyone else’s needs. I have always drawn and painted and it had always given me so much pleasure so I thought I would look for a weekend course, as I couldn’t commit to anything more due to the demands of my job.

Google was my friend, and provided me with a link to the Joedaisy Studio, who offered a plethora of courses from beginners to advanced painters.I took the plunge and signed onto a beginners painting with acrylics course. Caroline was meant to be the tutor for that course, but was unwell so Cat stepped in.If I remember rightly there were five of us on the course, all with different levels of experience, skill and expectations.

We had to introduce ourselves and what brought us to sign up for the weekend course. As the other students were speaking I could feel my nervousness rising up within me. Even though I ran and facilitated courses  within my job, spoken at numerous conferences, this was different,  this was about me and I had no job title or uniform to hide behind. I spoke about my love of art and wanting reconnect with that part of me again. My hope was that just spending the weekend immersed within art would soothe my overworked body and allow the creative side of my brain to be sparked back into life.

Well it definitely did that, it gave me permission to just be. Cat was an amazing tutor who shared a wealth of knowledge.

In one exercise we were asked to all use the same photograph supplied to paint and allow ourselves to be expressed within it. To take time before we started painting to just look at the photo and see what thoughts coming flooding in. I was astounded at the emotions I felt standing at that easel. Without realising fat tears flowed down my cheeks, I’m still not sure why I had such a response but it didn’t feel something to feel ashamed of, it felt like a relief and that was when I knew I had made the right decision to start my journey into the art world.                                                                                                      That weekend was the most refreshing,  challenging and career defining time of my life. I knew from that point that my working life now was not on the current path but taking a different direction,  when that would happen I wasn’t at that time 100% sure but I knew it would.

That first week back in work at my desk I was still buzzing from the creative outlet of that weekend. I was thinking ‘what course could I do next? When would I be able to sign up, what new equipment did I need at home,  how was I going to tell my wonderful boss that I needed to leave, how was I going to explain all this to my husband without him thinking I was going loopy!!

Well the stars must have all aligned because a few months later my husband actually brought the subject up, asking if I was happy in my work and now that I would be approaching 50 what would I like to do? Any changes I’d like to make? The answer was easy, paint, I wanted to paint full time. My years of caring for others from my nursing to working in schools to being the senior practitioner within the substance misuse field had all taken its toll on me, physically and emotionally. I needed to be the best version of me for all those I loved and for me too, and art was the only way forward I could see in doing that. We agreed that once our youngest finished college I would leave my job and set up painting full time.

It was then I needed to consolidate my learning within art and expand my skill, knowledge and techniques. So I contacted Caroline Hulse to discuss my plans and if in anyway her studio could help me.

The door to my future was swung open and I could not wait to walk through.  I attended a number of weekend courses with Caroline and once I left work I committed to a four month intensive course about my great love for Abstract Art and History of Art. The 4 months expanded to eight, then before I knew it Caroline had given me a year of her time with the course as well as 1:1 sessions and I loved every day spent in her studio, in her company and with other students.  Caroline had the immense talent of bringing each subject within the syllabus to life. She immersed us within the topics that we lived and breathed it until each piece of work was complete. The studio that Caroline and Cat created was a very special place to be. It was like every pore of my skin was soaking up the atmosphere from the studio. It had the ability to recharge my batteries while, at the same time, providing me with inspiration and challenges.

Caroline was so generous with her time, so free with her knowledge and her feedback was always on point. To find another artist willing to share so much is, I can assure you, so rare. One piece of advice that I will always be thankful for is Caroline telling me to keep on learning, researching and writing. Caroline wrote an introduction for me where she recognised my process. Caroline said “An exceptional artist who is inspired by colour, mark making and form. Sammy is an ‘Intellectual’ Professional Artist who approaches all her work with a huge mental analysis and therefore a wonderful vision of the work before it is created. Sammy writes down her ‘vision’ before she starts painting. She writes wonderful essays about why she is painting a particular work. Her inspiration, her concept and her colour fields. Hugely talented and extremely professional, Sammy is an artist to watch, to invest in and to enjoy.”

Caroline sadly and very unexpectedly passed away two years ago this month. She filled this world with colour, joy and laughter. You only have to look at her original artwork to see what I mean http://www.instagram.com/hulsecaroline I will be forever grateful for the time I spent with Caroline and I know how lucky I am to have had Caroline’s generosity of her time.

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