Painting, writing,family – 3 things which make up Anne’s world
Anne was born into a working class family and attended Watford Girls’ Grammar School. When she was sixteen she got an interview at The Slade School of Art but crumbled under interrogation. Accepting a place at St. Martin’s, she spent an unbearable year fighting a system obsessed with conceptual art, when all she wanted to do was paint. She then took up a teaching post at a primary school in Brixton and, finding she had a taste and some talent for teaching, went on to a teachers’ training college connected to Reading University; it was there that she gained her B. Ed degree in Fine Art.
By then Anne was married with a baby. Marital problems brought her to the Isle of Wight where she co-founded the Island’s centre for the arts, now known as Quay Arts. Ending up a single mum with two small children, Anne tried to continue teaching but the demands were too much so she took a step back. The fact that she had once considered herself an artist was urgently whispering in her ear so she started to paint again and sell her work. Not long afterwards, however, Anne suffered head injuries and lost her right eye in a car crash. Recovery took time, the studio folded and the loss of an eye had a detrimental effect on her ability to draw accurately. Persistent headaches due to eyestrain also interfered. It was then that she took up writing.
Since the early 1980’s she has divided her spare time between writing and painting.
The inspiration for some of her early paintings came from The Commedia dell’ Arte. Read more by clicking here.
Family
Anne’s three sons mean everything to her, although they’re far from being children now. She brought them up on her own but credits her parents for being there when she needed them, especially in times of ill-health.
After five years, each serving in the forces, her first two sons went on to university. Both now have good jobs and secure relationships. When she was forty Anne adopted her third son who suffers from Spina Bifida and uses a wheelchair. Again, contrary to conventional wisdom, he turned out tough, resilient and streetwise. He’s had to deal with challenging problems, not the least being the loss of his son’s mother who died tragically, aged 21. Shortly afterwards Anne’s son was hospitalized and her grandson, then aged around 14 months came into her care. He has now started school and is back with his dad.
Now Anne is looking forward to spending all her available time pursuing her artistic and literary aims. She feels time has crept up on her, while there is still so much she wants to do. However, she finds the prospect of completing projects in need of that final touch and launching into entirely new ventures truly exhilarating.
To find out more about Anne Lewington feel free to contact her via the contact form on the right.
