For me, it all started one late summer’s morning, aged fifty. I noticed a random group of friends meeting, around hot chocolates and coffees, in a local café on the beach at Porthgwidden, St Ives. They were sharing together the morning’s creations in their sketchbooks and I felt a deep yearning to be part of such a group. This meant at least two things for me. I had to learn how to paint and I had to join a group of likeminded people.
Throughout my childhood there was a painting on our chimney breast, that without knowing it represented a seed sown into my tender being. It was an oil painting of a path, through the trees displaying their glorious autumnal colours with the sunlight capturing spots of yellows, oranges, golds and making them jump out of the picture at me. I spent hours gazing at the light, the colours, the shadows and was in awe that such beauty could be created and captured .
It takes a lot of focus and hard work to study medicine and this was my chosen vocation. There wasn’t much spare time being a GP, wife and mother of three. However, at the age of fifty my nest was emptying and inspired by that group of artistic friends, I signed up for a beginners’ watercolour class in our local adult learning centre. Thursday mornings was going to be the start of the rest of my life’s journey into being an artist.
I was amazed that colours and water could be mixed and added to wet or dry paper and turned into three dimensional forms. There was light and shade, tones and textures, marks and scratchings. I learnt to paint waves, landscapes, structures and absorbed it like a sponge. I worked on the beginners’ exercises and then added in the intermediates’ as well; completing both lots of homework ready for the next week’s challenges. I was so excited and in awe of what could be created. I had been taking photographs of this wonderful world around us for so many years and now I had the means and opportunity to share this beauty in my style and in my own voice.
After being a GP for nearly twenty-five years I reluctantly, but necessarily, decided to take a career break, to rest and refresh and have my own renaissance. I am enrolled in a foundation course in art, with Trevor Waugh as my mentor and I am currently learning to paint in oils as the Masters did before me in the alla prima method. I feel so blessed and so excited to be on this journey. I hope that you too are able to share in these blessings with me.
gilliehayart 