Cheryl Callaghan Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
I am a special needs teacher by day working within the senior leadership team of a service for assessment of children with complex and additional needs. My form of escapism is my work as an artist, something that I am redeveloping and expanding through partnership with Norfolk Street Arts. I have a studio space in this development with access to kilns and ample headspace!
My young life was spent under the shadow of my Mum who through her own practice, helped me develop my own interest and artistic flair. I went straight to Art College from school after winning a scholarship and then on to do a Fine Art Degree. My life took the usual turn and after marrying and having my children I did a further degree and postgraduate studies and became a teacher. After 20 years of working in education I am now keen to redevelop my artistic background and am now redeveloping my skills as a Fine Artist through painting and ceramics. I have an innate urge to sculpt and this has led me to buy my own potters wheel where I have been developing techniques of throwing larger forms and altering these into sculptured pieces. I have recently made contact with a dancer and have been able to capture some images, both traditional ballet movements and more abstract dance forms. These are my current research project where I am looking at movement and effects of light on the dancer's form. I have taken on a studio space at Norfolk Street Arts and this has enabled me to focus myself and use the mentoring from the curator of visual arts to help me to define myself as an artist.
