I was born into a creative family and learned from an
early age that it was important if not preferable to improvise and
recycle wherever possible, so I’ve always been inventive and resourceful, whatever my role in life.
I trained in art and design
before the real education of bringing up a family and made good use of
many painting, drawing and 3D techniques during my involvement in my
children’s schools and other voluntary events.
In my thirties I trained as an adult-education tutor and taught people how to play with and care for young children. I wrote hundreds of articles about creative play and they were published nationally and internationally over a number of years. I was really shocked to discover how
few parents and carers have any confidence in their own creative
abilities, how they knew nothing about mixing paint and thought many of
my ideas were dangerous.
In my courses I gave people the knowledge and confidence to pass on to
their children. I have a portfolio of all my published articles and I
gathered the resources, enthusiasm and optimism from these courses and
put them into a simple but lavishly illustrated e-book entitled “I Wish I Could be Artistic”.
My greatest strength for many years was as a writer.
The skills connected with it, such as mentoring on a one-to-one basis,
fiction critiques, publishing and sub-editing, kept me buoyant and
inspired because writing a novel was too boring. A natural development
from running the evening course was to design and run Writing Life®,
a creative writing course by correspondence. I ran this for ten years
both by post and via the internet, helping hundreds of students to
attain their personal goals, many of them becoming published writers. It
demanded me to learn a lot about marketing and gave me some good
experience in promotional work.
I’ve worked as Fiction Editor and
Literary Editor for an independent publisher, have designed book
contents and book covers, naturally progressing to publishing my own
books and sometimes those of other people. I loved writing plays and
screenplays, creating illustrated books (especially e-books) and
websites, writing think-pieces and spoof articles (e.g.“Ten Ways to
Destroy Your Lover”) and adapting ideas for different artistic media.
Over the years I took part in various arts events, not least as a member of a rural Arts Council, and put on displays and exhibitions
of my work (written and artwork) as well as performing spoken recitals
of poetic prose. I've had some work published in anthologies but more
importantly I’ve had stories and articles published in national and
international magazines, and the following books are available from me
on request or preferably when you visit my Open Studio:-
Pathways to Publication Written
with publisher, Trevor Lockwood, this is an in-depth study of what it
takes to give your idea - your submitted manuscript – the qualities that
will give it a chance to rise above the slush pile.
Creative Writing the Organic Way This
was the Writing Life® course handbook but it’s so comprehensive –
taking you from tentative beginnings through to bold, full-length works -
that it has been described as a bible for aspiring writers. Full of
encouragement and good advice.
Hamersma: Inspired with Our Environment
The biography of a true artist whose philosophy is relevant and
motivating to artists and writers everywhere. See more about this man,
who has been described as a “lovely old nutcase” as well as an “artist
thirty years ahead of his time” on http://hamersma-uk.blogspot.com/
Writing,
In a Nutshell (e-book) A condensed version of Creative Writing the
Organic Way: if you’re happiest with your reference books at hand on
your computer, this is definitely the way to have it; but you can print
any of the pages for yourself to read anywhere, too. Contact me by email
if this appeals to you.
I Wish I Could Be Artistic
(e-book) A breath of fresh air: this little e-book will brighten up
your days and give you loads of artistic ideas to work through. No prior
knowledge or talent needed! Full of bright illustrations and lots of
useful tips. Ideal for entertaining/educating your kids too. Email me if
you'd like a copy.
Rebuilding Heaven
A collection of short stories that vary from – well – cute to crunchy:
this is a riotous variety that’s both uplifting and thought provoking.
Everyone will find something here that hits the nail on the head for
them, as the book is packed with stories short and long, vignettes, a
couple of poems and even a song.
Now I Can Tell It: A Prisoner Of War Remembers Stalag VIIIB
First hand experience of WWII in breathtakingly simple sketches and
words from the artist Cyril Hamersma’s vivid memories that were
previously buried for forty years. 80 full colour illustrations, a
beautiful limited edition book.
In 2007 it was time to move
on:- various circumstances combined to make it possible for me and my
husband to leave our home in East Anglia and emigrate to North East
Scotland, something we’d been wanting to do for many years. It required
some severe downsizing so I only kept a few of my ‘best’ art attempts,
my portfolio of published articles, the few copies of remaining books
that I’ve written and published, and my basic tools for writing, sewing
and drawing.
The one thing I couldn’t shake off, through all the
mayhem of change, was my creative temperament; and once settled in
Stonehaven I set about exploring it. Suddenly the floodgates opened and all that I learned at college, from my father throughout his life (see http://hamersma-uk.blogspot.com) and through all the artistic know-how I’ve experienced over the years has come rushing back in a cascade of creativity.
I am loving every moment of it and I want to open a huge gallery, work
at it for 24 hours a day, paint bigger and bigger, brighter and more
stunning pieces of work all the time…
But reality prevails and you can buy my work from my online gallery at AffordableBritishArt; or come to experience the real thing – in my studio/workroom at home (10-4pm, open by appointment).
Throughout
life people have asked me what am I? When I said I was a writer they
would invariably leap into long monologues about their favourite
best-selling authors. Oh dear, don’t bother (nor am I so very au fait
with all the great artists, apart from Cyril Hamersma). I was too busy
writing my own unique ideas and now I’m engaged in painting. I've
published everything I want to share but I still need to be creating
something from nothing and with over 50 years experience I can do it
seriously. I paint from the heart as I would always write from the
heart: that's what matters.
Currently a member of SABAB*, simply
call me an artist because I create whatever idea is best produced with
the material at my disposal and in the circumstances that prevail.
