BY BEV CORT

I’m very lucky that since a small child I’ve always been able to draw, it’s probably a talent passed down to me from both sides of my family from my mum and her brother, to my dad and his father, who were all very creative in different ways. I never thought I’d do anything else when I grew up but become ‘an artist’. I wanted to illustrate books and ended up doing a one year Foundation course after sixth form college, followed by a 3 year ‘Degree in Illustration’. But life happened and I never did become a book illustrator, instead I went into a career in Graphic Design, which I did for over 20 years ending up as Creative Director of an American IT company. But in my spare time I have always returned to drawing. I taught adult evening classes at a local school for a while, in ‘Life Drawing’ and ‘Drawing for Beginners’. But I never really took my art seriously as a pastime or a business. It seems I’ve reached a place in my life now where I have the time and the opportunity to concentrate on my drawing and I have rediscovered coloured pencils as a medium - I even have my own dedicated ‘Pencil Room’ where I now spend most of my time. My images are not photo-realistic, they still look like drawings - however, I do believe they capture the personalities of the subjects and convey an enigmatic quality that is not always found in the original photographs. I’m thoroughly enjoying both drawing for my own pleasure as well as taking on commissions for clients. And long may it continue...