My 'Damascus Moment'

Welcome to my blog!

I decided to start one to share with friends and other people my experience of reinvention in my third age, and encourage others to have a go too. It all started with a postcard a friend gave me – it said “Just bloody do it!’

I told my friends, on my retirement from teaching two years ago, that I wasn’t sure what I as going to be next – I’d been a daughter, a student, a wife, a mother, a teacher etc. but what next? I think I’m becoming a sort of artist. I have a plan.

Flushed with the success of getting a couple of pieces of sculpture accepted at an open exhibition in Trafford, I entered The Society of Women Artist’s 149th Exhibition and got a piece accepted there. The exhibition was held at the Mall Galleries, London – very prestigious! It sold - the shock of that red spot rendered me a speechless grinning fool for at least an hour, much to the amusement of my girl friends who had travelled down to the opening with me. The proof can be seen in the pictures and the red dot can just be seen if you blow up the photo.

Red dot just out of eyesight!

The stupid grin on my face is pure embarrassment at having to stand there while three wildly enthusiastic friends ‘paparazzied’ me with squeals and flashes as hundreds (yes!) of people milled around. The day had started with bucks fizz on the train, the good humour heightened by that red dot and beers in Covent Garden and we were still laughing away the last traces of eye make up as we fell out of the train at Piccadilly Manchester. I love my friends!

A website was next on my embryonic plan, so in came Anna to help me (do it for me). I wanted something a bit different, colourful, professional and not too self conscious - but not too casual either. Next bit of the plan is to keep the pictures updated – my sculptures are, I think, improving, and then approach a couple of galleries re. an exhibition in 2011/12.

That red dot was a ‘Damascus moment’; I was told it was all very well saying I was just making sculpture for pleasure and the rediscovery of skills 40 years on, but when someone pays real money for it, it is a whole new ball game. I can see what he meant.