Meeting Heidi is always a delight due to her creativity and openness to exploring new arts and crafts. We had a fantastic chat about Heidi’s journey to where she is now and all the twists and turns along the way.
It’s clear from chatting to Heidi that her interest in art and craft developed within her childhood. She explained that her Mum would always say ‘Heidi is never bored’! Heidi explained that her Mum tried to teach her to knit and her babysitter taught her to crochet, she would also make clothes with her Mum on the old singer sewing machine. She also loved painting, drawing and reading. This approach to varied crafts and arts remains with Heidi as she still loves trying out different creative elements and incorporating them in her work.
Heidi started life in Croydon and then moved to Somerset at the age of 5 years old. On leaving school she went into banking and building society work but always kept her creative side, taking up photography and joining the South West photography school for 5 years and now holds a Royal Photographic Society Qualification.
On moving to Cornwall Heidi and her husband bought a B and B and they continue to run Penrose B and B in Lostwithiel. Her husband Chris had always worked in hotels and have now successfully run their business for 22 years. Heidi always kept the creative side of of work going, learning how to screen print and creating her own leaflets, she started exhibiting her work at the B and B in the lounge for the guests to see and she always made jams and marmalades to sell to customers, which she still does now.
When Covid hit Heidi’s world changed as her business shut, she had time to explore art work and as craft and art workshops recommenced Heidi took full advantage of accessing them, this really helped in kick starting the business.
Heidi’s creative business is now keeping her busy from being part of exhibitions to having her work in the shop and running the local U3A art club. She enjoys both art and craft and still likes to explore new elements of both regularly coming to workshops at LilyBoo and at Stable Art. She displays her work at the B and B and is loving exploring different elements of her business and where it may take her. She shares her work on Instagram and Facebook (contacts are below).
Heidi explained that she is very good at having an idea and following it through such as her current project recycling fabric into jewellery. She explained that inspiration can come from looking at Instagram or on Pinterest. She has a notebook with her to jot down her constant thinking and ideas, learning from others and taking inspiration from gallery visits. Heidi shared her interest in Van Gogh’s work and how the bright colours are astonishing.
Her own artwork can be created slowly or at times quick and she is able to leave a project and come back to it, sometimes over and over again.
Moving forward it is clear that Heidi is ambitious and would love to be known for her work. She dreams of being part of exhibitions, selling online and growing the business across the county and nationally. I for one am certainly looking forward to seeing where the journey takes Heidi.
