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My grandfather was the Irish Edwardian artist Anthony C Stannus, a well-known portrait painter of his time, and it seemed a natural activity to be ‘doodling’ with pencil and paints from an early age. 

I was educated at what was known at the time as a progressive school, St Christopher School, Letchworth, Herts, where they gave every encouragement to artistic expression.  On leaving school I studied music for a year, but after recurring bouts of fibrositis I turned to drama as a second choice and went to the RADA.  An early marriage put an end to those ambitions.  My husband was a teacher and I soon followed in his footsteps.

My main subject for my teaching diploma was art with music as a second subject.  This choice, with the addition of drama, proved to be a perfect combination for teaching generally.  During this time I continued to pursue my interest in art.  By means of short courses and workshops I studied life drawing, sculpture, oil painting and lithography.

It was quite late in my career that I turned to water colour painting and subsequently became inspired by the works of Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian philosopher and scientist.  I was particularly drawn to Dr Steiner’s work with Goethe’s relatively unknown theory of colour, enabling him to bring a new impulse to art born out of the nature and moral qualities of colour.

After years of teaching painting in school and working as an art therapist at one time I began making greetings cards for sale.  Now retired I work in a water colour veiling technique and do colour research work with fellow artists.

2003