“Start living by taking back the control of your life now! Create a life more in tune with your true desires.” Steven Redhead. Rosalind suffers from a chronic illness and took a heroic step to take back control of her life. She rekindled her passion for art which turned out to be a great source for bringing back joy in her life. With the continued support of her family and positive feedback from friends she started gaining her confidence back. Today her beautiful photorealistic drawings have opened many doors for her. Her fantastic work is published in coloured pencil magazines and chronic illness magazines. Rosalind is looking forward for her first solo art exhibition at local art gallery.

Can you tell us your journey as an artist? How has art helped you in different stages of life?R: I have always been interested in art. From a young age I could be found with a pencil and paper in my hand. I knew that I wanted to learn how to draw photorealistic animals, so spent many hours practicing, copying photos that I had, looking in books and taking photos when I went out. I only worked in graphite at that stage, and practiced my graphite scales over and over again, to perfect the shading aspect of my work. As I got older, art had much more of an impact in my life. I took 2 exams in art at school, compared to the single exam that most people took, and got really good grades. I was so pleased, as I knew that it was something I wanted to do in my future, and I had finally got on the first rung of the ladder, so to speak.
Art took a back seat for a while as I got older and I got a job, and didn't have as much time as I'd have liked to concentrate on it. I still dipped in and out of it, but didn't really make much progress at that time.
It was then that I met my husband, decided to start a family, and moved to Ireland. I started to enjoy lots of different crafts, including cardmaking, stamping, crocheting, pottery, and sewing. I still enjoyed drawing, but didn't have the time to concentrate on it as fully as I needed too, and then my life changed beyond recognition. My body decided that it didn't want to work anymore, and my health deteriorated very fast, and within a very short amount of time I had to give up everything that I loved. I was housebound, and some days bed bound, and life was very bleak. I had to get the house kitted out with home aids to try and make my life a little bit easier and more manageable. I wasn't able to sit at the table to make cards, or stamp anymore, it was too painful to use my sewing machine, and my hands were too sore to even touch wool, so had to stop crocheting too. I went to a very dark place, and couldn't see a way out. I wasn't able to do things with my husband or children, and just getting out of bed was excrutiating. I sank into a deep depression.
Several months passed, and I realised that the only way I was going to feel better was to take control back. I couldn't and wouldn't let my body control the rest of my life, and I began to fight back. It was really hard, as I had been diagnosed with so many different conditions that seemed to bounce off each other, but I knew that I was the only person that was going to be able to do it. I found an old sketchbook and my pencils, and start drawing again. It was very slow going. I was in so much pain that I couldn't draw for long, but I knew that I could pick up my drawing whenever I felt like it and put it down again when things got too bad. Slowly I started to gain confidence again, and showed my friends my drawings. They were amazed by them, and suggested I posted them online for more people to see, which I did. I got incredible feedback about them, and several people asked if I worked in colour. I didn't at the time, because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to create realistic looking work, and it would look more cartoonish, but decided to buy a cheap set of pencils, just to prove my friends wrong. I ended up proving myself wrong.
My first coloured pencil piece was a tigers face, and I was really surprised at how realistic it looked. I was amazed that I could create realistic pieces using coloured pencils, and that's when I realised that my life was going to go in a different direction. I researched professional pencils, looking at the pros and cons for each brand, and decided on Faber Castell Polychromos. I had to wait a week for them to arrive, because they had to be shipped from abroad. In the mean time, I continued to work with my cheap pencils, and worked on my techniques, improving with each drawing. I was a complete beginner in this new medium, and I had a long way to go. I had to take baby steps again and learn new techniques, which was hard, but I was determined.
When my Polychromos arrived, I spent hours practicing my drawing with them, and saw more and more improvements, I made mistakes, but I learned from them, and used what I'd learnt on my next piece. It gave me something to focus on, other than the pain that I was in. I was able to draw in bed on my bad days, and at the table on my good days, slowly but surely I had more good days, and was able to spend a bit longer on my drawings. I could see steady progression with my techniques, and started to join drawing groups online. My work was selected to be published in a coloured pencil magazine. I was amazed that they thought my work was good enough and it gave me an incredible feeling of accomplishment. I submitted my work into more magazines, and they were chosen again. I was asked about my reference photos, and when I explained that I took a lot of them myself. I was asked to write an article about photography, which was also published.
My health problems still play a huge part in my life. I suffer with Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, Diastasis of the Symphysis Pubis, Scaroiliitis, Dislocated Coccyx, Prolapsed Disc, Sciatica, IBS, Fibromyalgia, Raynaud’s Disease, Postural Hypotension, Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, Migraines and Asthma. I still have bad days, when I struggle to get out of bed, and I am on a concoction of different medication that help me live day to day, but I now feel that any day that I manage to draw is a win for me.

What kind of techniques and tools do you employ to create photorealistic drawings? What opportunities are you getting from your drawings?R: I work in wax and oil based coloured pencils. I use multiple techniques, to create my work, including several blending techniques, using paper blending stumps, silicone colour shapers, and foam blending sponges. Each technique gives a different result, depending on how I use them. I really enjoy getting a smooth look with the colour shapers, and its perfect for when I am drawing metal. I use a lot of different tools in my work, including my pencils. Some of them are cellotape and an embossing tool, for creating highlights, a crochet hook and needle, for creating different indentations on the paper, which are perfect for whiskers, blades of grass, and hair, and an eraser technique for creating a soft blurry look for clouds.
I get a lot of fantastic opportunities from my work. I have been published in several magazines, including coloured pencil magazines and chronic illness magazines, I have been selected to be published in a coloured pencil masterworks book, and I have recently secured a date for my first solo art exhibition at my local art gallery. I also have a drawing technique group on Facebook, to help other artists learn and improve their techniques, along with a YouTube Channel, which has lots of real time videos that I've created, showing how to create a variety of different techniques using coloured pencils. I have also brought a range of products out that include prints of my coloured drawings, and most recently is a calendar for 2018 with 12 of my most popular and favourite drawings in it.

What is your favorite art creation so far? How long does it usually take to finish a drawing?R: I currently have a couple of favourite drawings. The first one is my tractor drawing called 'The Gathering of Crops' The reason that this piece is one of my favourites is because it is one of my most labour intensive drawings, but also one of my most realistic pieces. It took over 150 hours to complete over the space of several weeks. My second favourite drawing is the beautiful 'Pip' who is the beloved pet of English Comedian John Bishop, and his lovely wife Melanie. I have an obsession with pigs, and have done since I was a child, so to have been given the opportunity to be able to not only draw a pig, but draw such a special pig is a huge honour.
My drawings take anything between 50 and 200 hours to complete depending on the size of the drawing, and the detail within the piece. Many years ago I tried to complete a drawing in a day, but quickly realised that rushing them wasn't giving me the result that I wanted, so now spend as long as is needed to complete it to the standard that I expect from myself. I am very tough on myself, and if its not up to standard, I will throw it away and start again, no matter how long I have been working on it.

Who is your favorite artist? Which of his/her artwork inspires you the most and why?R: Lisa Clough from Lachri Fine Art is my favourite artist. I love all of her work. I first discovered Lisa when I was searching for drawing tutorials at the very beginning of my coloured pencil journey. Lisa's name kept coming up in searches that I made, and when I saw her work I was amazed, and immediately started to follow her video tutorials. I don't have one particular favourite piece of Lisa's work, its a combination of all of her coloured pencil work that inspires me to continue to work hard to improve my techniques. The realism that she creates is incredible, and I hope one day to be able to create work on the same outstanding level as her.

What is the best way you have found to keep positivity in your life?R: I have learnt the hard way, that it is very easy to end up in a very dark place when suffering with disability and chronic illness. There are several things that help me to stay positive. The first one is my family. My husband and children are my strongest support system. They are there through thick and thin, spurring me on to succeed, and giving me a shoulder to cry on when I don't. They know how important my art is to me and are incredibly supportive of any opportunities that I get to work on my art, and further my drawing career. If I'm having a bad day, they are there with positive thoughts and suggestions, to help me get through it. The second way I find that helps keep me positive, are my accomplishments so far. Its very easy to forget what you've achieved, but I find that having my accomplishments in front of me, keeps my mind focused and keeps me in a positive frame of mind. I have some of my favourite drawings framed on the walls in the house, and if I'm feeling down or disheartened, I look at my work, and it makes me feel good again, knowing that I have achieved an awful lot in a relatively short amount of time. I have also learnt that only having positive, supportive people in my life helps a lot.

Who is your inspiration?R:  I am inspired by my family. My husband is a wonderful man, that has had to deal with so much since I became ill, but always has a smile on his face, and a funny one liner at the tip of his tongue just ready to cheer me up. He looks after me when I'm at my worse, and supports me when I am at my best. He is there for me and the children unconditionally, and is my rock. My children also inspire me. They are such happy souls. They have disagreements, as all children do, but when push comes to shove, they are there for each other no matter what. They are incredibly kind and sweet, and will do anything for anyone.

What do you like to do when you are with your family?R: My family and I love to spend time together down at the local beach, splashing in the sea, and looking for interesting things that have been washed up on the shore. We also enjoy going to the local Eagle Sanctuary, and watching the eagles, owls, vultures and other birds of prey. When we go on holiday, we always make a point of going to the zoo, or walking around a nature reserve. We are a family of animal and nature lovers.

What is your favorite place to visit? What do you like about that place?R: My favourite place to visit is Blackpool in the UK. We stay at a caravan park on the edge of a nature reserve. Its very relaxing and peaceful there, although it's close enough to the centre of Blackpool for us to go and enjoy ourselves in the arcades, and piers, and have a walk along the front, popping into the shops and getting fish and chips. We can all totally relax and enjoy ourselves on holiday.

What tips do you have for those in our community who are interested in becoming an artist?R: If I could give anyone that's interested in becoming an artist one piece of advice, it would be to persevere. Whether you already have experience of drawing, or its something that's completely new to you, keep working at it. The one word that I use a lot when talking to anyone that's interested in becoming an artist is practice. That's all it takes, don't get me wrong, it takes a lot of practice, but that is it. Please don't think that you have to have any special skills to become an artist, you don't. All that's needed is a creative mind and patience.
I started drawing when I was around 12, and started using coloured pencils just over 2 years ago, and I'm still learning. I've never had any training, or been to art school, or even taken any classes. All I did was practice, practice, and practice some more.
If there's a particular style of art that you're interested in, or a particular artist that you like, look up information about that style or artist, and you will find lots of information out there that will help you. There are thousands of video tutorials out there that are very helpful too. Art is a fantastic way of expressing yourself, and I personally think that everyone should have some form of art in their lives.

Any special message for our community?R: Each an every person in this wonderful community are special, and are more than capable of achieving incredible things. You might have to do things in a slightly different way, but everything and anything that you set your mind too is achievable. Reach for the stars, and your dreams will come true. Don't ever give up on your dreams, they are part of who you are.

Enjoy Rosalind's amazing and beautiful work