As a young child I watched my father paint. At the age of eight I asked him one day if I could have a go as well.

I spent many happy hours painting with him. I wanted to go to Art School but he was against this so I went teaching instead.

At the age of 21 I belonged to the Govenor’s Bay painting group, and exhibited with them and the Christchurch Town And Country art group for one year.

Six years later I was back in Christchurch and belonged to the same two groups again. All this time I worked in water colours

In 1984 I went to Hagley High School and did the Bursary Art course. I had never taken art at school. I passed and was hoping to go to Canterbury University to do the Fine Arts course, but my circumstances changed again.

That was the end of my painting until 2003 when I went and did a water colour course for a term. The tutor didn’t suit me.

Then my husband saw an advertisement for an oil painting weekend, which led to my doing Robyn Collier’s oil painting course. I discovered that oils gave me freedoms that I had not experienced with watercolour.

In 2012 I left teaching and can now paint full time. This is something that I have dreamed about for many years. It is very exciting.

Galleries that have exhibited and sold my work are

• New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts Wellington
• Marlborough Arts Society Peter Doig competition
• Paraparaumu Rotary yearly art exhibition
• Van Helden Gallery in Eastbourne
• Red Peach, Ahuriri, Napier
• Fine Arts Gallery, Queenstown

I accept commissions

Janet Brady