My Story

Sharing her passion for art has become a way of life for this determined and talented artist.

- Gillian Grove

Twenty-five years ago Gillian Grove walked past a noticeboard advertising art classes. If you ask her about it she might tell you that she wanted a break from her hectic work schedule or that something inside her wanted to become more creative. Like most artists, Gillian had enjoyed art at school but put away her yearning to give way to a more practical life that earned her money in what was called the ‘real world’. Little did she know that her decision to go to that art class would in years to come become one of the most important decisions she had ever made. That she would share her passion for art and her strong belief that anyone can learn to draw and paint with hundreds of adults and children smashing the myth that you need to be ‘talented’ to learn. That she would open an art school based on these beliefs and that there would be waiting lists every term for five years to get instruction from her. This is Gillian’s story.

“I couldn’t paint at school. I was not bad at drawing but painting frustrated me. I couldn’t get the paints to work like my pencils and believed that there must be something wrong with me – that I didn’t have enough ‘talent’. Everything at school was so competitive so when I couldn’t paint my confidence got knocked and I put away my art for a few years.