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It takes a brave woman to drop a well-paid job to follow her artistic dream. But, as Wyn Abbot tells Josie Hill, it's not all about the money.
Swapping the rat race for a life as an artist is one that many of us dream about but never actually have the guts to do.
But Wyn Abbot was nothing if not determined when she decided to give up her job as an NHS manager, with a good salary and peachy pension, to become an artist and sculptor working from home.
Mum to three grown-up sons, Wyn, 50, who lives in the Lune Valley, says: "It was a great job, I had a really really great career but I got to the stage where I felt I had done enough and I needed a change.
"I hadn't planned on leaving it at first – it was just a hobby."
But then Wyn found she was in the fortunate position where offers of artistic work were coming thick and fast, so she reduced her hours to four days a week, and from there, saw the possibility of making a living out of the "something creative" she had always wanted to do more of.
She says: "The NHS was going through some changes and I felt I had gone as far as I could go. It was a huge decision; I had a really good salary then went to having a very little income."
But fortunately for Wyn the work just kept coming in. And her success is as much, perhaps, due an awful lot of hard work as well as a great talent.
Wyn makes ceramic sculptures of creatures and beings inspired by mythology and folklore, and has recently been commissioned to produce individually-crafted replicas of the gargoyles at Lancashire's 15th century Turton Tower, which will go on sale in their gift shop.
She joined Made in Lancashire, a co-operative formerly for artists and food producers, which now supports only the latter, and went from strength to strength.
Wyn says: "I won the first Made in Lancashire business development award earlier this year – that gave me a huge boost."
She insists that one thing that attracts people to her work is the inspiration behind it.
"I am not just interested in making ornaments," she says, "but I am interested in ancient history and mythology and so I try to bring storytelling into my pieces."
Wyn creates ceramic pieces weaving elements from ancient cultures and mythology into her pottery and sculptures including Celtic, Native American, Aztec and Tibetan, and she uses both modern and ancient techniques including the Japanese Raku process.
Within one year of starting her new life as an artist, Wyn is looking forward to the future.
She may not be wealthy but money is coming in, and she works a lot more hours than she ever did, but clearly for Wyn, measures of success don't come in pay packages.
In just 12 months she has held two solo exhibitions at the Peter Stott Gallery in Lancaster, has exhibited at Samlesbury Hall, twice at Hornby Castle, and once at PAD. She has also started organising exhibitions to showcase other local talent across the north west.
She has had great support in her career change from partner Colin Caruthers, who she says was "the one who encouraged me, saying 'come on, take the leap'".
"The support is really essential... and the belief in yourself."
Events
* Khameleon The Art Show: An opportunity to meet Wyn and buy direct from her just in time for Christmas! It takes place at Westmorland Centre, Stricklandgate, Kendal, from December 8-14.
* Open Studio at Hornby Castle Snowdrops Day, Hornby, Lancashire, on February 15, 2009.
Online
* To find out more about Wyn's work visit www.wynabbot.com.
* Watch Wyn's video guide to making a pot in Ask The Experts on lep.co.uk (follow the link through Your Say)
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Friday 25 May 2012
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