Well said Louisa.

Yes I also didn't feel encouraged in my art at school despite lots of people saying I had real talent. I went to university to study science but have continued with my art without a break despite other things going on in my life such as having children or work. No, never give up if you believe in your art.

Too true Paul. Trouble is that so many people set themselves up as "experts". Art is very subjective. My particular "mutants" have probably gone to the big school in the sky by now! I am also sure that the legacy has survived when you read some of the other artists' biographies. This is so unfortunate and it is up to all of us to encourage them. Art is so healing.

I had a similar experience at school to the point where I used to absolutely detest art. Teachers back then were so full of themselves and I have nothing but pure contempt for them looking back. That was back in the 70s and i trust that most of these mutants have now retired and their so called legacy has not remained. Art is whatever you want it to be and more importantly whatever you are happy with it being. If people don't like your work then that is their problem not yours.

I collected every book on Watercolour, Sue and I still can't do it. "You Tube" is great for demonstrations for anything you would want to try. I started with oils but they take too long to dry. I now work with open acrylics which give me time to blend my paints without drying too fast. I am sure that other artists would agree with me that nobody likes every piece of work that is produced by a single artist. Have confidence. Enjoy your painting. I notice that you don't have any paintings in the gallery. I would urge you to look every day at the gallery and see how diverse the paintings are. There is no good or bad paintings, to my way of thinking, and I find that other artists are very helpful and encouraging. We are all on a learning curve and some are steeper than others. Have fun! I hope to see some of your paintings soon.

I too was one of those school art class pupils who after raising a family is now lucky enough to have some me time again, so decided to give watercolour a go. Four years in and having read every book on the subject in our local library, I consider myself as finally getting it. No longer drawing a picture and colouring it in, I've found the joy of letting water be the master of pigment and taking advantage all the wonderful results. Sure a lot of paper went in the bin to start with but I didn't see it as a waste. Instead I done the peice again and again until I got the result I was aiming for. My work may not appeal to all but to me it's priceless because of the hours of enjoyment it has given me. Lost in my little 'art bubble' time flies by and I forget all the stresses and strains of everyday life in those precious hours. Having rediscovered and nurtured my artistic side, I plan to keep going on my journey of discovery for as long as physically possible and I encourage everyone else to at least give it a try.

Thank you for your input Manashree and George. It is lovely when another artist likes your work but it is also incredibly important that you can give and accept constructive comments. It helps us improve and lets face it, we all have stronger and weaker points - let's share the knowledge.

Wise words Adele, and I agree with what you say absolutely. I taught adult painters for thirty years or there abouts and seldom found one that didn't enjoy painting. A lot of them came back to painting in their middle age having not painted since their school days. I witnessed a lot of these returners start from scratch in a very amateurish way and saw all of them improve over time, some more so than others. They almost always accepted constructive criticism and without exception they all enjoyed the experience of learning. Criticism offered and accepted in a sincere and constructive way is a sure way of learning and improving. After a while most of the artists proved capable of self assessment and self criticism which if done honestly is probably the best criticism there is. This should be understood to be honest and not destructive criticism. It is no good saying "this painting I have done is rubbish and destroy it without giving thought to why it has not worked." Artists should take time to try to think through their finished work and find ways to improve it. Just one thing discovered this way will probably last your lifetime as an Artist. So to all who are struggling with their paintings, keep looking keep assessing your work and for goodness sake keep painting And thanks for your posting Adele.

Atleast the ones who are associated with this website should never giveup painting.