My first ‘public’ acknowledgement of my creativity came at the tender age of seven years old. I was a pupil at a convent school called, St. Finians. Not to be confused with the infamous St. Trinians; depicted in several movies, although we found the exploits of those particular pupils to be wonderfully exciting and deliciously naughty.
My teacher had entered a piece of my art work into the Brooke Bond National Travel Scholarships and Educational Awards. I was extremely excited to be presented with 1st prize – a beautiful hard back book of The Story of Hiawatha. I was entranced with the images and story and it has echoed throughout my life in ways I could not have imagined at that time.
Thus my creativity began with painting and drawing. In secondary school, I explored many art forms but was drawn to the abstract and in particular, the Impressionists. I would spend many lunch hours creating 3D and moving images. I was very fortunate to have a very supportive art teacher; Miss. Randall, who gave me whatever materials my heart desired. On one particular occasion she even allowed me to have a 12 x 5 foot notice board from the main corridor so I could make a perspective piece! I will be forever grateful to her for her unfailing belief in my art, so much so she submitted some of it to the Royal College of Art in London. When it was accepted for the next intake she had to advise them I was just 12 years old. So unfortunately I could not start my ‘creative’ life at that point and not later either – life has a way of interfering just when it’s not welcome.
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 