Samantha Sykes

I have recently taken up several crafts, some I have always wanted to learn like weaving, and pottery also, crochet, I was taught a little by my Mum and Nan but only in the last few years have enjoyed making things with it. I have always drawn although I stopped for a long time, but I am doing it again and painting, though I have never felt confident with colour I’ve always wanted to try to paint more. This is why I decided to enrol on some of these courses. I liked what they offered and also the way they were teaching the subject, it appealed to me.

I never intended to use any of it professionally, but I might if I feel I can. I want to write a book and the idea of perhaps incorporating drawings with my story appeals to me now so I might find that I enjoy doing that sort of work.
I am qualified as an Art Historian, but I don’t consider myself one, mainly because it’s been a long time since I used my knowledge or worked in an environment that needed me to have that knowledge and skill sets.

But I still like to read about artists and find out more about them. So, some of the ones I like or that interest me are surreal, impressionism, Artemisia Gentileschi, Salvador Dali, Claude Monet, Frieda Khala, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Rachel Whiteread, Peter Blake, Anish Kapoor, Anthony Gormley, Grayson Perry, Yinka Shonibare, Cornelia Parker, Michael Landy, Yayoi Kasuma, Martin Jennings, Sculpture, water colour, Japanese art, Katsushika Hokusai.
Disability stopped me from doing what I wanted to do, so I am rebuilding my life and trying something new.