My Story
My creativity stems from always writing poetry I also played music from an early age.
In my twenties I had two boys a young family and was working full-time in IT, exciting times we were adding the internet onto our computer network!
But in my early thirties everything changed... I became ill. it felt like my life was on pause.
I needed to focus the little energy I had on my family but also needed something for myself.
So I started to paint, at the time, watercolour. I also did some voluntary teaching, setting up 'Made Specially' a local craft group for the MS Society,
We met once a month, it was all I could manage. I would go to the library and research how to do things as I hadn't done the crafts I taught and YouTube wasn't around then. I'd take what I learnt to the group. This is how I learnt to teach. I told them I'd just been to the library but they didn't believe me! 😂
'Helping you to capture those awesome moments in life'
Following this, despite continuing ill health, I decided to do a creative degree with the OU this gave me a greater understanding of how to be creative.
I took music and creative writing (not art!) I loved it but realised that music wasn't where my passions lay and to be honest there were times when I was so ill I couldn't practice.
I did it! I think it took me seven or eight years but I was a proud owner of a BA (Hons) Humanities Degree with Creative Writing and Music. I was so proud to have managed this.
Birth of a Business
By this time the children were grown up and I had started to paint again, I mean a lot! This time I was much better at it and I loved it..
I realised that the observations and creativity I had learnt during my degree transferred to new art skills. I started to play and experiment with acrylic and new techniques, others asked me to show them how and once I had a few people asking I decided to run one class. I was worried it would affect my health - it did but for the better!
So in 2016 Debbie Chatfield Art was born. At the time I worked from village halls. At home my third bedroom became an art studio!
'Creativity makes me smile, I feel lucky every day to be able to do what I do'
New Art Studio
Then 2020 happened, my student numbers dropped and I had to go onto Zoom.
I focused on creating my own art studio, we had our garage converted, you can see it on YouTube... this is where I now paint and run workshops from our lovely village (Bradley) in rural Staffordshire, UK.
Paint with Debs
I now have beautiful grandchildren and it is important to me to balance work and family. My health has improved a lot but occasionally it still trips me up. Lockdown was hard, I lost students but it showed me there could be another way I could share what I know online, I started Paint with Debs online.
And for me sharing is the most important thing about my art, I am trying to connect the wonders of life through my work and that connection includes sharing what I do as well as what I paint.
So what my illness taught me was to observe and appreciate life way more, it's what I want for you too. During the very poorly times I couldn't get out so the outdoors means a lot to me and the more I painted the more I realised the little things are so important and I want to capture them.
For those of you who want to paint I want to share the joy of capturing a moment in life with you too.
The joy of capturing on canvas is what I want to share with you.
I believe everyone is an artist, ask any child they are already artists but somewhere we lose ourselves. If you have always wanted to be an artist, need techniques to help you along the way or simply want to find out who you are, who is the inner artist within you and you want to find your style then I will help you to do that.
But if you simply want to experience the joy of the wonder's of life on a canvas then this is what I truly share. I want you to benefit from my experience,
The illness made me appreciate life, connection and how precious that is. So what I share on canvas is my view of the little moments and I love it! I want to bring those uplifting moments into your life to bring you that feeling of joy and wonder that nature offers... I want to bring the outside in!
Art Alchemy Podcast
I met Ruth my co-host on the podcast in 2022 when I started a business course for artists. We started in the same week and kept in touch, I immediately loved her art but it was why she painted that I truly connected to.
Doing the Podcast has been an amazing experience as we have realised just how much our values coincide and our ambitions to reach out to other people creatively and make authentic art. It was this that has rapidly led us both to the next stage of our journey.
If you want to catch our Podcast click on the button below, we now release fortnightly on Spotify and every Sunday on YouTube. I hope you enjoy watching as much as we enjoy chatting!
Art Hub Community
We are so passionate about welcoming you into an art community that's friendly and fun!
Together we will..
- Inspire you with artists and art genres in a digestible format
- Build confidence with art techniques
- Connect with other artists
- Learn how to be more authentic to uncover your unique style of art
- Express joy together with art challenges and live workshops
- Support each other through difficulties and celebrate successes