ABOUT : Mary Deaville
Artist & Children's Book Illustrator
Creative, even as a child it was always on my mind that I would be a freelance artist, I even took my pencil to bed to draw the curtains!
I didn't realise that this would not happen until I was in my 50's.
In my life I studied at an art college in Barnet, had a job in a camera shop and in our family pet shop.
I had a career in accounting until I took a break to have my 2 children, I then trained to be a teaching assistant because I loved helping with the kids in the schools my children attended.
The love of my life has always been art, so after I finished my teaching assistant qualifications, I decided to open my own creative studio in
Ross-on-Wye and teach art lessons in 2016.
♡♡YOU CANNOT FAIL TO BE AN ARTIST - IT IS A SUCCESS JUST TO BE ONE.♡♡
However, life gets in the way and throws a curveball or two at you making you change direction. I have been a carer for my daughter with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, anxiety and autism since 2017, as well as living with my own mental health issues.
2018 I started working on illustrations for a children's story, brought to me by an unpublished author, 'Theo L Gardner' and this has helped me so much.
2019 I had my first illustrations published in the children's book, "Marrow".
2020 has brought Covid and Lockdown, stopping me from teaching.
Now in 2021, I sell mixed media art, cards and artist materials. I am also concentrating hard on my career as a children's book illustrator, which not only fits in with family life, but gives me IMMENSE JOY as-well.
I really believe that doing something creative every day helps to benefit our mental health and emotional wellbeing.