A RHU artist who went without painting for 20 years has picked up the paintbrush once again, writes Darren Gibson.

Wendy Robinson always enjoyed drawing and painting, but busy with the duties of being a mother and a primary school teacher at Helensburgh’s Hermitage Primary, Wendy found it hard to find the time to follow her dream.

Wendy told the Advertiser: “I hadn’t really painted anything for twenty years until I picked up my wee art set last year.

"I’m a dog walker now, so have no marking. Painting has replaced that!

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I shared a few pieces on my Facebook page last January after plucking up the courage to go public.

"I received such positive feedback from family and friends so decided to set up WenArt.”

WenArt is the base for Wendy’s paintings, which have quite an angle on the animal world.

“I realised I could paint dogs and started getting commissions from people to paint their dogs," she said, "and a few cats too.

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"I had painted a Highland cow initially and thought as dogs were furry, I could possibly do them too.

“I’ve recently started painting birds, bees and flowers as I love nature and just liked them. I always paint what I like so it keeps me interested.”

And recently, Wendy’s work has become more and more prominent online, with her work being sent as far as Gibraltar.

She continued: “People I don’t know have requested work which has been amazing.

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"I’ve started making prints as some of my work was surprisingly popular. It’s my stab at becoming more commercial.”

Lockdown can have its benefits for some, and Wendy is seeing these upsides.

“Lockdown has afforded me more time to paint and immerse myself more," she said.

"It’s challenging fitting art time around work so it’s been a luxury.

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“I’ve also encouraged lots of my friends to take part in a ‘Paint a Puffin’ challenge on my own Facebook page during lockdown.

"I had about 30 entries – amazing pieces by some who didn’t know they could draw. It was brilliant.

“I’m indebted to the support of family, friends, and other artists who have given me the confidence to now feel like a ‘real artist’.

"I am also grateful to Rhu Bay for sharing my work on their page and giving me a real boost."

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For those that are looking for something to do during the long days of lockdown, maybe art could become their new favourite hobby.

“I’d encourage anyone to give it a go," Wendy added.

"They might be like me and discover talents they didn’t know they had.”

To check out more of Wendy’s work, visit the WenArtRhu page on Facebook.

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