I love pancakes. It’s my birthday tradition that
we always go out for breakfast pancakes. BUT my business name doesn’t comes
from my love of pancakes, it comes from a quote from a book called The Third
Policeman. When things go awry in the story, one of the characters has a habit
of musing on it with quips like “that is a most curious pancake” and I loved the phrase!
I never got any artwork on Tony Hart’s Gallery
(only people of a certain age will even know what this is!), but Phillip
Schofield displayed my artwork in the Broom Cupboard (waaaay before CBeebies!)
back in the 80s, and I got a signed autograph, back when he still had brown
hair!
I broke my right arm when I was 11, falling from
something I shouldn’t have been climbing! My arm went in a lovely “S” shape. It
was well broken. The hospital set my arm badly and it had to be re-broken and
re-set 6 weeks later! Brutal!
I have always loved illustrating. And I have
always loved animals. When I first got a dog, at the age of 12, I was so
beside-myself-happy that I couldn’t stop drawing him. You can see the only
drawing I have left of him attached to this post.
I have life modelled on and off for 10 years.
It’s no big deal to me, but people often act really surprised! It was good
pocket money. As an art student, I knew that life class was nothing to be
scared of, and, rather than people juding your fat (fat = good as there’s lots
of exciting folds to draw!) they’re just trying to get your weird shaped head
to look right on the paper! Still, picking a pose where you’re not going to be
aching like hell after 10 minutes is a real skill! I nearly fainted once after
picking a bad pose, and trying to get up gracefully, after sitting on a leg
that’s gone dead for 10 minutes, is nigh on impossible. You think falling over
is embarrassing? It certainly goes up a level when you’re naked in front of 20
people!
I ADORE musicals. My favourite is probably
Singing In The Rain.
I’m not very good at remembering people’s faces.
Or names. I’m constantly embarrassing myself with my own social awkwardness. I
can say the stupidest of things. If I’ve ever said something stupid in front of
you, believe me I’ve agonised over it for weeks (and sometimes) years
afterwards. This is my brain’s gift to me.
When my mum died, I started meditating with the
Headspace app. It’s helped me to live in the present more.
I was once addicted to tea. Back when I was a
student I would have at least 10 cups a day. I probably have around 5 a day
now. Tea really is a cure-all and comfort for me. My favourite is any Assam
blend, so Yorkshire Gold or Tetley is just fine. I like it the colour of He-Man,
with oat milk!
I have a first class degree in Illustration. I
loved my time at Uni. I learnt a lot, it was a really intensive (often
stressful!) course. When you talk about an arts education, people assume it’s a
bit of a cop out degree, that you spent 3 years “colouring in” or something,
but I’ve never worked so hard in my life. Well, until I started working for
myself that is! I can’t say that the degree opened any doors for me. We’re not
living in a movie here. I remember applying to over 200 places in my first
summer after graduating and receiving nothing back. I left with the same debt
that everyone else left with, and I still have that debt! All that aside, I’m
proud of my achievement, I worked my ass off for that degree, and it remains
(however distantly) a testament to what I can do when I stop watching the box
sets or judging myself by other people’s successes and apply myself!
