‘Painting makes me feel like myself’
Gael Sellwood followed her creative streak – and she’s now a successful artist.
Iwas brought up surrounded by creativity. My grandmother was a dressmaker, and the other women in my family were makers, too; they were constantly knitting and sewing, and I wanted to do whatever they were doing. I loved drawing, painting and anything crafty. I always felt that you could make anything out of anything; in my view, there was no limit for what could be created.
Like many children growing up in the 1970s, my school encouraged academic achievement over the arts, so I went into a corporate career. I trained in human resources, and eventually did consultancy work, mostly in the health and voluntary sectors. It was a very formal, structured career. I liked feeling that what I was doing was helpful for other people.
I married my husband Michael in 1988, and together we cared for his disabled son, so life was busy. But I’d still carve out some time every day, often just 20 minutes, to lose myself in something creative. It always helped me relax and feel like myself. Sometimes I’d knit or sew, but I always found myself coming back to drawing plants.
IT’S ONLY NATURAL
I’ve always gained pleasure from observing living things in nature. In my 20s, I went to botanical drawing evening classes, and in my 30s, I studied for a professional qualification in botanical illustration at Birmingham University. I loved it, but I still felt that art was self-indulgent. My day job took priority; I didn’t consider myself an artist.
The turning point came in 2004, just before I turned 40. I saw an advert for a local postgraduate programme on business and digital skills for artists and makers, and I decided to apply.
I had been feeling unfulfilled in my job for some time and I couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that I was on stage
playing the wrong character. Michael was so supportive and excited by the idea. He asked, ‘What’s stopping you?’ and I realised the only person who had been holding me back was myself.
I studied for the course alongside doing freelance consultancy work and often had to work late to complete assignments. But I emerged feeling like an artist. At 40, I finally decided what I wanted to do when I left school!
For the past 15 years, I’ve worked as a botanical artist, earning my income through exhibitions, commissions and teaching. Now, an average day for me involves going out into my wild, lush garden and gathering things to paint using watercolours, such as rosehips, acorn cups, snail shells and berries. Lockdown affected my sales, but
I used the time to reflect and create work for an exhibition in October.
I’ve had many proud moments:
I joined the Society of Botanical Artists, and am now co-president. In 2014,
I was delighted to win an RHS gold medal. Some of my work is included in respected art collections, I had a big solo show at a gallery and I have also written a book, The Measure Of The Year.
Being an artist can be isolating and it’s easy to take disappointments personally when you pour your heart into your work. But the positives outweigh the negatives. I feel more genuine now, like I’m wearing my own shoes instead of someone else’s. I feel at peace with myself.
gaelsellwood.co.uk