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Leaping the Gap.
What is 40 years?
Back in the 1960's I spent a year at art school , mostly life drawing in order to achieve A level. My career then took and entirely different course, including a science degree and many years in training and educational management.
Then 2 years ago, I retired and immediately enrolled at the local Adult Education centre on Life-drawing and Portraiture classes. I thought that going back to what I once knew how to (albeit over 40 years before) would help me regain some confidence. Returning to basic drawing, I found that I quickly improved and the work that I produced was different to my A level work. I even worked faster. No doubt a result of my working life being subject to numerous deadlines. My tutor was fantastic, very supportive and friendly. She encouraged me to try new techniques and 18 months ago I started painting. At first I did a beginners watercolour course and meanwhile I started painting portraits and life models in acrylic.
I took to watercolours like a duck to water, if you will excuse the pun. Acrylics was a little more challenging as the colours did not always turn out the way I expected, but persistence has been rewarding.
My tutor tells me that I have had the steepest learning curve that she has seen in all her years of teaching so I am well pleased with my progress.
The next challenge is selling my work as I need to make more space at home.
the moral of the story is that you can teach old dogs new tricks and learning is not just for young people
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