I started The Art House in Woking, Surrey in 2017, after realising there was a gap for a place where people could come and make art without feeling like they had to be “good at art” first.
My own background has always been creative, but I’m particularly passionate about making art feel accessible and enjoyable rather than intimidating. The Art House started with just one class and has grown into a busy creative studio offering around 15 classes a week for children and adults, from complete beginners to students working towards GCSE Art and building portfolios.
What I love most about teaching is seeing that moment when someone stops worrying about whether their work is “right” and starts making their own decisions. I don’t want everyone leaving my classes with identical paintings. I encourage students to use reference images as a starting point, but to experiment, make mistakes and develop their own ideas and style.
Over the years I’ve taught hundreds of students, from young children having their first go at painting to adults who have always wanted to try art but never had the confidence. We also run private painting experiences, parties and team-building sessions for companies, so no two weeks at The Art House are ever quite the same!
One thing that’s particularly important to me is that The Art House isn’t about producing perfect, Instagram-worthy art. It’s about learning, experimenting and enjoying the process. I genuinely believe the world needs more artists — and by that I mean people who are curious, creative and willing to look at things differently.
After nearly ten years, I’m still teaching, still learning and still coming up with new things for people to make. And I’m probably happiest when there’s paint everywhere and someone says, “I didn’t think I could do that!”