Mandy Ahlfors

Artist Statement


I was born 10th August 1967 and I'm 38 years old, born in Derby and I have lived in Heage Derbyshire for the past 10 Years. I have always drawn pictures as long as I can remember. It is my life long hobby my friends and family and school teachers from a young age have always encouraged me with my artwork and even asked me to do the occasional picture for them which and I have always been happy to do so.

I did not go to Art College after l left school, I was unsure what I wanted to do as a teenager. Although I never gave up on my hobby. I have always been an observant person enjoy watching people, animals and the ever-changing seasons.

In my early thirties I became bored with the work I was doing as a sewing machinist, which had been my main job since leaving school, friends and family and occasionally their friends, and work colleagues still asked me to do pictures for them usually working from photographs. I decided to turn my hobby into a proffession.

I attended a local Art College to brush up on my skills. I began with watercolours and have experimented with oils and my now preferred medium is Acrylic and occasionally mixed medium to add effects.
I also enrolled on a part time course at the local Adult Education and Community Centre in Belper Derbyshire near where I live.

This was a theory course and was about The History Of Art and run by the BBC. I chose the era Impressionism to learn about. The course helped me understand changes that were made at this time and how the artists struggled to make the changes that they did of this era.

I found how interesting the History of Art was and enjoyed the studying. How the New Masters learnt from the Past Masters. It helped me to look at Art in a different way too. I gained a credit for my efforts.

I enjoy giving people pleasure my picture’s I am commisoned to do whether it is scenery, animals or portraits or contemporary work.
I enjoy painting pictures of the Past Masters. I use them as a self-help teaching method attempting different techniques.

I have just recently completed the Indian Rhino and Bird, and currently working on other projects and commisons. I hope you have enjoyed my short story and my pictures submitted in the following attachments.

Mandy Ahlfors