 Me!! Hi, I'm Anna and I am 40 in just a few days time!!!!! I think I am fine with turning 40 but we will see in a couple of days!! I started painting when I was about 10 years old I think....... my memory is not what it used to be!! I was born in North London, the youngest of four kids. We moved up to Bedfordshire when I was 9 because of my Dad's work. Whilst in middle school (we didn't have middles schools in London so that was strange......a Bedfordshire thing!!) I had an amazing art teacher. I can remember the lesson where I realised I loved to draw and paint. In that lesson I also found out that I wasn't too bad at it, which was a relief because I wasn't academic at all. It was a water colour session where we had the choice of painting poppies or a monk fish, yes a monk fish!!! Well as you can guess I chose the poppies. The teacher made me look......this sounds a bit strange but she helped me draw what I saw and not what I thought the poppies looked like. This is what I painted in that lesson.......I was so proud of what I had achieved.  Poppies - Aged 10yrs So from then on I really concentrated on my art lessons, I was not good at anything else apart from having a laugh with my friends. In upper school I was lucky enough to have another fantastic art teacher, she was such an inspiration and got me through my GCSE's and A Levels. I actually concentrated on pottery and sculpture during my A Levels, I still have lots of my sculptures in my loft! I love pottery but I don't have the chance to practice it now but someday soon I will pick it up again. I then went to Bedford College to complete an Art Foundation course with the intention of going to university. The intention was there but one of the tutors said I had "lost my spark".......Well I think it was more that the tutors were trying to push me down a route that I did not want to take. I loved creating full stop..........they wanted me to have a reason behind everything and the more shocking the better! It just wasn't me. So I went to Australia to spend some time with my family over there instead of going to university! From then on I have been self taught.........I did not paint very much after the foundation course, not for quite sometime. I was working full time for a drinks company and working in a night club, this is where I met my husband. We married young, I was 23 which is very young nowadays, but we are still going strong so it was the right move for me.  How young!!?? After a few years of marriage I wanted to get back into my art and my husband encouraged me to open up a little shop/gallery. I was working for the police at this point so I worked in the gallery in the day then worked an evening shift in the police control room. It was hard work.....I was shattered but I loved it!! After about a year I wasn't happy with the location......there was issues with the electric's in the building so decided to close the shop but carry on with painting. At that point we had decided to start a family also so my working hours were not practical or achievable so the shop had to go. Once I had my eldest child Jack, painting went out the window......I painted a few things for friends and family but not regularly. I have a 6 year gap between my children, not for any other reason apart from my husband getting his head around having another!! So Thomas came along and when he was around two years old I picked up my creative side and I have been concentrating on my paintings ever since. I love painting portraits......I think that stems from my interest in people. My mum and dad have fostered children since I was 10 years old so my house was always busy!! With a busy house all the time you pick up on lots of emotions and become very aware of feelings especially when you share your life with children from all different backgrounds. The face express's so many emotions without verbal communication.....this intrigues me!! I love how everybody is so different and yet so similar.  Baz - Oil Painting  Baz with Baz I really enjoy painting wildlife and peoples pet.........I love the detail I can get in the paintings. Again its all about people and their reactions, whether it be a commission of a loved pet or just a persons favourite animal. The reactions never become boring. It is all about revealing the painting or drawing I have completed for a person and how they pull out emotions. I sometimes can't quite understand how I paint what I do but I do and I love it!! Enough about me.....keep scrolling down to see more paintings and how to get in contact. xx  Lulu If you would like to commission then please go to ...........missions.html Or pop along to my website to check out my limited edition prints........ Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Alfred' signed by artist.
£75.00
*****Only available for this price until 8th September to celebrate being Highly Commended in the Ken Bromley Cover Competition******** Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Alfred' signed by artist. Print measures 42.5cm h x 33cm w. Each print is numbered, hand signed by the artist and will include a certificate of authenticity. Limited run of 50 prints. This piece has been printed on portrait white acid free high calendared 285gsm fine art paper, meeting the highest museum quality giclee standard. Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Arthur' signed by artist.
£85.00
Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Arthur' signed by artist. Print measures 53cm h x 42cm w. Each print is numbered, hand signed by the artist and will include a certificate of authenticity. Limited run of 50 prints. This piece has been printed on portrait white acid free high calendared 285gsm fine art paper, meeting the highest museum quality giclee standard. Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Abundance' signed by artist.
£50.00
Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Abundance' signed by artist. Mounted print measures 34cm h x 33cm w. Each print is numbered, hand signed by the artist and will include a certificate of authenticity. Limited run of 20 prints. This piece has been printed on portrait white acid free high calendared 285gsm fine art paper, meeting the highest museum quality giclee standard. Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled "Follow Beatrice" signed by artist
£70.00
Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Follow Beatrice' signed by artist.
Mounted print measures 40cm h x 40cm w. Each print is numbered, hand signed by the artist and will include a certificate of authenticity. Limited run of 50 prints. This piece has been printed on portrait white acid free high calendared 285gsm fine art paper, meeting the highest museum quality giclee standard. Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled "Beau" signed by artist
£70.00
Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Beau' signed by artist.
Mounted print measures 40cm h x 40cm w. Each print is numbered, hand signed by the artist and will include a certificate of authenticity. Limited run of 50 prints. This piece has been printed on portrait white acid free high calendared 285gsm fine art paper, meeting the highest museum quality giclee standard. Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled "Archibald" signed by artist
£85.00
Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Archibald' signed by artist.
Mounted print measures 46.5cm h x 57cm w. Each print is numbered, hand signed by the artist and will include a certificate of authenticity. Limited run of 50 prints. This piece has been printed on portrait white acid free high calendared 285gsm fine art paper, meeting the highest museum quality giclee standard. Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled "Herbert' signed by artist.
£60.00
Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Herbert' signed by artist.
Mounted print measures 40cm square. Each print is numbered, hand signed by the artist and will include a certificate of authenticity. Limited run of 50 prints. This piece has been printed on portrait white acid free high calendared 285 gsm fine art paper, meeting the highest museum quality giclee standard. Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Frank' signed by artist.
£60.00
Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Frank' signed by artist.
Mounted print measures 42cm square. Each print is numbered, hand signed by the artist and will include a certificate of authenticity. Limited run of 50 prints. This piece has been printed on portrait white acid free high calendared 285 gsm fine art paper, meeting the highest museum quality giclee standard. Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Stay Focused' signed by artist.
£75.00
Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Stay Focused' signed by artist. Each print is numbered, hand signed by the artist and will include a certificate of authenticity. Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Beauty and Grace' signed by artist.
£75.00
Limited Edition Giclee Print entitled 'Beauty and Grace' signed by artist.
2 Comments
Margaret Marshall
6/18/2019 11:49:49 am
I really enjoyed reading this. We are an artistic family. My granddaughter (10) has just won an Art scholarship at her school in Gloucester. She told the interviewer: there is no such thing as ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in Art... it’s more to do with how the artwork makes you feel. 6/18/2019 07:57:06 pm
Anna, you are a beautiful and talented artist who I am very proud to call a friend. Keep writing your blog and tell us your story. Sending you lots of love 💕 Leave a Reply. |