The Artists

This page shows an example of each artist's work and a little bit about them (in alphabetical order of surname!). If their name is highlighted and underlined it means they have provided more examples of their work some of which may be for sale. If this is the case click on their name to view more of their paintings and other pieces of art.

 

	Jo Chandler is one of the newer members of Pam's art classes having joined in 2014. She always used to paint in acrylics but at the classes she has started to experiment with other mediums including water colours, oils and pastels. She recently completed a picture of flowers done in glass and clay (see opposite). Jo really enjoys creating pictures and craft objects and particularly enjoys participating in Pam's classes.
"Sherlock"	Alison Collis has dabbled in art several times over the years, but in 2010 joined her sister, Di Morgan, in Pam's Thursday afternoon classes in Alvechurch. Change in work circumstances meant that she had to give up the afternoon classes but as soon as Pam announced the Wednesday evening classes in Droitwich, Ali was first to sign up! With no formal art training, Ali has a natural style and like her sister likes to paint as close to reality as possible but has also tried her hand at abstract and mixed media. Click on her name to see more of her paintings
	Helena Compton started drawing portraits in her teens, progressing from pencil to coloured pencils. People and animals are still her favourite subject but around 2011 she started doodling with gel pens. She realised she had been doing that all her life, but just with a pen, and then discarding the finished picture. She joined Pam's art class in 2011. Previously, when she had attended a class that Pam ran, Pam taught her to paint, blending the colours. She only did a few paintings like this because of the hours of trying to recreate the same colours as the previous session and trying to get a painting to be "perfect". That's why any paintings she now does are quick abstracts! She's done acrylics, oils and pastels. Click on her name to see more of her paintings
"Heron takes flight"	Sheila Evans joined Pam's beginner’s class in 2011 hoping to learn to use watercolours in her painting. Fortunately Pam’s classes covered a whole variety of mediums and subjects opening up many new exciting creative paths.  Having always had a love of drawing, Sheila really enjoyed the new challenges introduced and during the first year found that water based oil paints suit her way of painting as do pastels and pencil crayons. The challenge of watercolours was not forgotten however and recently she enjoyed trying again and completing several watercolour paintings. Sheila’s favourite subjects to paint or draw are animals and flowers using photographs, some taken in her Alvechurch garden or on her travels abroad. Click on her name to see more of her paintings
"Alvechurch Canal"	Astwood Bank based Yoga teacher Angela Floyd hadn't drawn or painted anything since she was about 12 but she always loved art and thought there might be an artist in her somewhere but was reluctant to try just in case there wasn't. Then 3 years ago she saw an article about Pam's Art Classes and the words "...a class for people who want to try art but have always been too nervous to..." struck a chord and she thought she would give it a try. Since then she has loved every session and says she would paint every day if she had the time to do so. At the 2015 Art Exhibition, run by Pam and members of her 3 classes, Angela entered the picture shown opposite in a competition set up by Kamal Khan, a director of local nursing home, Grosvenor House, and was chosen by the staff and residents as the outright winner!
	Lee Forrest joined Pam's first Thursday morning class in 2011 along with Sheila Evans and Dave Morgan. He has a unique style of painting than can be seen in his pictures (click on his name for more)
"Geisha"	Alison Hendrix has known Pam for a number of years and attended more than one of her classes over that time.  She enjoys painting in acrylics and also drawing with pen or pencil. Although these are her favourite mediums she will have a go at any challenge to do with her art. Alison is currently also dabbling in photography and photo manipulation Not only does Alison hang her art on the wall she also has a number of colourful tattoos that she is very proud of. As she will tell you, "some people spend money on wall paintings, I carry mine round on my skin."   Click on her name to see more of her paintings
"Black Country Museum Street Scene"	Lynda Jones was born in Birmingham and lived in the south of the city until her family moved to Lancashire, where she attended Darwen Grammar School near Blackburn. Art was always her favourite subject and she hoped to become an art teacher but after her marriage she took a secretarial course and joined Birmingham City Council in their Public Health Department, later moving to the Department of Education as a school secretary. Whilst working at a secondary school she was encouraged by the head to take a certificate of education course and after gaining her qualification started a 20 year career teaching Business Studies in schools in Solihull and Birmingham until her retirement in 2003. In her final post she gained a 1st class BA honours degree in Social Sciences. After retiring she returned to art, taking an Art Foundation course at Birmingham City University, which encouraged her to continue with her interest in the subject, and she then joined one of Pam's Art Classes.
	Clive Lee's family were bombed out of Walthamstow in London during the war so his mother travelled to be with friends in Scotland in the summer of 1944, where she gave birth to Clive. Despite being born north of the border Clive was bought up in London and now lives in Bromsgrove.   Art is one of several hobbies that Clive has taken up late in life, not really starting until he was 69, although he then took up the saxophone one year later! He has also been keen on Judo, piano, organ and music theory as well as gardening over the years.   He says, "Like music art is fantastic medium for self expression and virtuosity and the sky's the limit. I only hope that my paintings give lots of pleasure to people that acquire them."
"Indian gent"	Sue Matthews has been a member of Pam's Art Classes for a number of years and says that she first started to draw when she was old enough to hold a pencil - and she now admits to being of an age when she is entitled to a state pension! She recalls that when she was younger, every birthday and Christmas she would get colouring pencils or boxes of paints, and they were always well used. In fact she still has some of the drawings she did as a child and she says, "hopefully I have improved over the years!" Although she had a period of not doing any when her daughter was young, she returned to art about 20 years ago as she finds it very satisfying and hopes to continue to draw and paint well into the future. Click on her name to see more of her paintings
"Falling Waters" (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930's)	When Dave Morgan joined Pam's first Thursday morning classes in 2011,  for "beginners" he was asked by Pam what his art experience was. He said he knew how to draw a cheque and paint the front door and that was his limit! He believes that some people (like his wife Di) are natural artists whilst others (like himself) are not. He admits that he doesn't know what his "style" is - or even if he has one! He has tried most media and various subjects from abstract to nudes, and enjoys painting buildings especially those built in the art deco style. He says he has two major problems - his impatience - which means he favours acrylics and water colours "because they dry quicker" - and the second being that he sometimes cannot really "see" a colour - somewhat of a problem if you want to be an artist! Click on his name to see more of his paintings
"Whippet"	Di Morgan spent one year at Stourbridge Art College after leaving school in Bromsgrove but was put off drawing and painting by the tutors who thought that the only way forward in art was abstract, whereas Di's natural way of drawing was to faithfully reproduce what she saw. She then went to Leeds University where she studied fine art and said she would take up practical art again once she retired! She started going to Pam's art classes in 2010. Her style is to paint as lifelike as possible and her preference is to use oils, although she has dabbled in most media thanks to Pam's classes! Click on her name to see more of her paintings
"Night Scene, Hong Kong harbour"	Lynn Nokes joined Pam's art class one Thursday morning in September 2012. She had not picked up an artist's brush since school, but felt it was something she would like to try. Lynn favours water based oils, but she is still experimenting with acrylics, water colours, inks and pastel crayons. She mostly paints from photographs, many of which have been taken by husband Alan. Click on her name to see more of her paintings
"Abandoned building"	Allan Sanders says that he was always interested in drawing but when he decided to become a draughtsman he thought he should learn the skill properly! He is a skilled artist and photographer and many of the photos taken for this website are from Allan's camera. Allan says that he doesn't like painting because you have to "...clean up the mess after" so apart from his photographs most of his artwork tends to be in pencil or pastel. You can see some of Allan's drawings by clicking on his name above. To see some of Allan's photographs click here. Click on his name to see more of his paintings
	Born in Lincoln, Marlene Saunders has lived in London, Bedfordshire and for the past 30 years Worcestershire and has always enjoyed crafts and sewing. At college she trained in fashion and design and soft furnishings and then worked in the tailoring department at a couture house in Knightsbridge. She has also worked in retail, at a boarding school as a sewing lady, and been self-employed in soft furnishings. She changed careers in her 40’s and worked in care in day centres and for the NHS.   In 2001 she was a teaching support assistant at N.E.W. College where she met Pam. She says, "I worked at the college and at Headway assisting Pam in her art sessions. Under Pams supervision I sometimes painted alongside a student with memory problems, the student and I would each produce a painting, and now all of mine are displayed around my house with pride. In 2015 I took voluntary redundancy from college. I wanted time for myself but needed structure to get me out of the house to meet people. Pam asked if me to help her on Thursdaysand although I am not an artist I know how Pam works, so I help with setting up the hall, taking fees, help some students with mobility problems and tidy up.  I take notes for a student and myself when Pam is demonstrating. I also make sure refreshments are in stock.   I can honestly say this was the best thing to happen to me. I have a purpose, I am learning, hopefully helping people, I am part of a group and I am communicating with lots a nice people which makes life worthwhile - all thanks to Pam.   Pam is an amazing teacher, and these picture that I have painted under Pam's instructions in the last 2 years are also displayed in my home."
	Chris Wheatley loved art at school but soon abandoned it when she started working.  Since retiring in 2010 she joined Pam’s Art Class and has been re-learning all the skills and techniques she says she had forgotten. She enjoys painting in oils and watercolours but has recently found the versatility of soft pastels!    Her inspirations have come from the impressionists and some of the masters, and she mainly works from photographs that she has taken herself, but has very occasionally painted en plein air. She paints mostly landscapes and tries very hard to paint in a loose and painterly fashion but she says, “…somehow it never happens, however I am still evolving!”   Click on her name to see more of her pictures.