00:00Open Studios is a creative arts organisation that encourages artists to open their working
00:05studios to the public starting the first weekend of June each year. This year marks the 30th
00:10anniversary of Open Studios in the South East in Kent. And I'm here in Dill to speak with one of
00:14the artists on the trail about her experience as a mature student studying fine art and how
00:19she expresses herself through her artwork. Let's take a look. Well, it's very colourful. It's
00:27intuitive and automatic mark making. And when I do my large scale paintings, which is my comfort zone,
00:34that is the only time that my brain kind of goes a bit quiet. But it's all to do with
00:40my experience
00:42as an ADHD person. I like to take it as like I make a mess and then I tidy up.
00:48In the current cost of
00:49living crisis, Vicky sees Open Studios as a way of overcoming barriers that often face artists and
00:54students. Basically, it's quite a cheap way to get your work out there, really. And it's part of a
01:00trail. So there's lots of artists to see. And I've just moved my studio space into my childhood home,
01:08which is my dad's back garden. As well as her experience as a person with autism and ADHD,
01:14Vicky has also faced the added obstacle of joining the art industry in her 50s.
01:18It's difficult. I think I have done quite well. I've been quite resilient because I ended up working
01:25in an office all my life. All I ever really wanted to do was art. I didn't think it was
01:29for somebody
01:30like me. And I found this free course and it was for people who didn't have any formal education in
01:37the arts. I was really encouraged where I kind of hadn't been before and they encouraged me to do an
01:43access course. I went in there thinking this isn't just for doing like a hobby. I was quite serious
01:50about it. But I was very proactive and very motivated. And I think that comes from being a
01:55mature student. But I also realised I was really overwhelmed while I was there. I've suffered from
02:02anxiety and depression for most of my life. And when I went to uni, I kind of realised being amongst
02:09all
02:09the other students who were neurodivergent that I'm actually neurodivergent myself. But I do feel
02:16like I have come up a lot against quite a lot of age discrimination. There's a lot more opportunities
02:23for younger people. Despite the challenges Vicky faces, she hopes that sharing her art and how she
02:28views the world will help others facing a similar situation. Eleanor Gonsalves for KMTV, INDEAL.
Comments