It wasn’t until I was in my mid 50’s that I started painting and only because I started working at Colart in the Kidderminster DC. I’d dropped art at school and would never have picked up a brush again if it hadn’t been for joining Colart.
Thankfully I did and since 2015 I’ve been painting in every spare moment. There’s such a wealth of freely available advice now and I soaked it up by watching YouTube tutorials and to brush up on specific techniques such as painting animal fur, I paid for a couple of lessons and purchased a few DVD’s, books and online courses. If I wasn’t at my easel painting, I was watching or reading about art.
Luckily, I had good support from family and friends and I managed to start selling through local craft fairs. I also home printed greeting cards to sell in a local café and at fairs. I tried limited edition printed canvases but couldn’t compete with stores who sell an excellent range very reasonably, so I stopped doing these.
The Colart staff discount is a great opportunity to purchase top brand products and I’ve tried as many of our products as possible, so I have an understanding, though I especially love our fast-drying Griffin alkyd oils.
I’m not very social media savvy so don’t have a website, I am on Instagram (@jiny_lennon) and enjoy engaging with other artists. As I work full time, art is only a hobby but one I hope to take more seriously in retirement. Most of my commissions are mainly pet portraits but as a keen animal lover I do enjoy painting animals. I also love painting people, practicing on my family but I’ve completed a few commissions too and my favourite genre is still life.
Art as therapy
I would urge anyone who is remotely curious to have a go, painting is incredibly relaxing and for me it provides relief from tinnitus (Tinnitus is when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears). I’ve had it for several years and while the tinnitus never stops, painting takes my thoughts elsewhere and distracts me and the ringing recedes into the background.
Thank you for reading my story which I hope inspires you to share yours on Colart’s Got Talent.
quite amazing artworks Jan, well done to you! Thank you also for sharing… I will be sure to follow you on Insta and please keep us updated here as well!
Your art is amazing Jan – loved hearing your story. I may commission you in the future 🙂