Art is part of my soul, my genetics, my being. I was born with this amazing gift, and from the first time I could hold a pencil, I could draw. My parents were always amazed, and encouraged me so much to develop this gift – and I did.

I’ve always loved it, and was never without a pencil, texta, watercolour, calligraphy pen or paint in my hand. If I was sick as a child, my Dad would always bring me a new colouring book and pencils to give me something to do while I recovered. It was always the colouring books that had a space where you could have a go at drawing the little picture beside it. I loved those pages the most.

It became a huge part of my life at school, as I took the highest levels in art, and was in the top bracket too…and believe it or not, I hated ceramics at school!

While I was at school high school though, was when my confidence was squashed. One of my teachers would always tell me how I drew was wrong. He would question everything I did. Even though I didn’t have this teacher often, it was enough to make me really self conscious about showing my work to people. I had won art awards, and won at art exhibitions, but I questioned everything I did and really lost my way with it. I would argue with him and tell him it is something I was born with – how to create this way. It shouldn’t matter how I got to the end result, as long as it looked good. It was very frustrating.

So, after I left school, I did keep drawing, but I hid away all of my work, even showing family would make me anxious! However, my husband Mic, and my parents really worked on me over the years to realise I was good enough. It took until I was about 30 to be able to show, and be proud of what I could do (even though I still get nervous about showing my work)…that was also around the time that Marley & Lockyer came to life.

Something I have always loved is old paintings. Right from the Renaissance Masters like Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, through to Salvador Dali, Brett Whiteley, and many more. My favourites are old portraits. I have tear sheets from school with examples of old portrait painters like Henry Raeburn, John Watson Gordon and James Guthrie. They were my favourites. So, of course, I thought I would paint some of my own!

I mentioned I was was working on a portrait in my Instagram stories, and showed a little look at the beginnings (see above), and had so many people ask about it. Would I be selling them, or if it was just for me. You can probably guess what I was thinking….but Mic talked me into putting some in the shop as originals, and maybe making a few of them as prints on linen. SO, that’s what I have done.

I have added two originals to the store. The one above is called “Mr McKinley”, and the one below is called “Mr Finnigan”. You can find all the details by clicking on their names. There will be no prints of these ones, as like I said, I’d like to have some originals as well as prints. I’m currently working on another which will be available as a print very soon.

I am really happy with these, and I’m having a ball painting them, but I have to admit that writing this post and hitting publish on both the post and the store listings was nerve wracking. I do hope you like them, and I’d love to hear what you think. Hopefully one of you will get to have one in your home soon. Love, Ness xx

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