Paint with me!
I believe that EVERYONE has a creative streak, it's just my job to help you find and harness it
Painting Events are one of my favourite things to do; whether they’re at a pub, creative venue, or in my own kitchen or garden, I love to watch you all as the creativity takes hold and you are fully immersed in your painting!
If you are searching for an event to attend, take a look at my Beyonk shop here. I update it regularly with new events and it’s here you’ll find Gift Vouchers and Memberships to buy as presents or gifts for yourself. If you’d like a bit of an extra special treat, you can always buy an apron or a tote bag as you check out. You’ll find lots of events in the coming weeks and be able to buy tickets there. New workshops this year include Watercolour and Lino Printing Workshops, a lampshade class, and other little gems I’m keeping up my sleeve. Some venues offer a drink with the class, some don’t, please check in the course details. If you’re coming to my house or garden, I don’t mind if you bring something fizzy to drink!
If you would like to enquire about a commission, a party or a corporate event, please email me at 4allthesmallthings@gmail.com and ask about availability and minimum costs. I’d love to be able to help you add an artistic twist to your celebrations. Likewise, I am available to provide INSET and CPD sessions to teachers, all you have to do is ask.
Heather x
Summer at Lichfield Maize Maze
As the summer starts you'll find me here...
As Resident Artist and self-titled Creative Advisor at Lichfield Maize Maze, I spend a lot of time painting and creating before the Summer season starts at the end of July. Many months of planning, meetings and phone calls, and painting, with last minute varnishing and tweaks, happen before the Maze opens and the design is revealed.
There is always something exciting happening and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I’m lucky that Alice and Richard allow me to have my evening painting events there during the summer season and I’ll be found in a tent in the day doing crafty things with children who are visiting, asking you if I can take your picture, and helping out with the Social Media content creation.
As the season extends into October, I can be found (huddled under many layers) personalising pumpkins, both real and faux, for you to create your Halloween displays at home. That’s after spending a week dressing skeletons in fancy dress costumes, positioning straw bales and pumpkins perfectly for photo opportunities and styling benches and straw sofas to within an inch of their lives…there is never a dull moment.
About Me
Everything you wanted (and didn't want) to know...
I began my career as a primary school teacher and then specialised in teaching Art and DT. I loved my job, and revelled in the fact that I was making a difference to the children I was teaching. I was in charge of the Library and could indulge my love of children’s literature and provide excellent reading material in the school library – my favourite place, after the Art Room. After teaching in the classroom for 20 years, a year in a school in Valencia, and a few precious years with a super team who are still friends, I have a wealth of techniques and tricks up my sleeve to help you achieve the effects you need to produce art you’re proud of. My years of experience teaching children and students of all ages, have helped greatly when making the shift from children to adults. I was terrified at the beginning, but now I don’t think I could chose who were my favourite!
As a teacher, I loved English and Literacy, was a handwriting fanatic, having been recruited as a Handwriting Specialist, teaching and implementing a whole school handwriting scheme. I even have favourite letters…but please, no Maths, I think I’m allergic to numbers!
I became Head of Art and taught Art and DT across the school – a role which I had coveted for so long, I did enjoy it for a while.
After a short spell of falling out of love with teaching in a school – and other things, I made the move to Residential Education. I now work at the magnificent Ingestre Hall, on a part-time basis, so that my creative arty/painting events and role there can exist side by side. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by like-minded creative types, who all recognise how fortunate we are to work in such an historic building, with an incredible team, focussing on bringing out the creativity in every child we meet on their School Residentials.
Reviews
Everyone has commented on my Order of the Day blackboard and I love it. I perfectly encapsulates our day. Not only a very talented artist, Heather was very responsive and went to great lengths to make the details unique to our day. Thank you - I would highly recommend
It was a gorgeous event, Heather and to see you up there shining and bringing joy to so many was lovely
Services
I'll paint on anything, anywhere...
If you have a special request for a birthday party, family celebration or a personalised workshop, do ask!
I am happy to travel (within reason) and provide workshops for a minimum of 10 people.
So, if your Head Teacher wants ideas for a bit of CPD, or some Wellbeing activities, get in touch. I can paint or write things on the walls too, so if there’s something you’d like painting or writing, I can help you out, I’m sure. I take commissions for house portraits, either painted on oak blocks, or a line drawing on watercolour paper. These are great for Christmas and Birthdays, or new home gifts too.
I’ve painted on galvanised steel, walls, in bathrooms, bedrooms and on a car bonnet – the possibilities are endless. All you have to do is ask, I’ll tell you what I can and can’t attempt (don’t ask me to go up on a high ladder, though…I’m a bit wobbly above four or five steps high!)
Family get-togethers are a great thing to do and a painting event will bring you all together, young and old. Birthday parties are perfect for grabbing your friends and getting them round to paint with me, add in some fizz and food and you have the perfect celebration.
Email me at 4allthesmallthings@gmail.com or pop me a message through Instagram or Facebook @forallthesmallthings
Great Hetherington
As all Creative Types do, I have a mind full of possibilities and love to use it and I have to come clean about an obsession I’ve had for quite some time now.
Great Hetherington is a village somewhere in the depths of an imaginary area, very like the Cotswolds, with lots of beautiful houses, which I often muse about living in…if only they were real! The houses enjoy a good competition and every year, they compete between the lanes and roads of the village, to win the title of “Best Decorated Street”. It’s hotly contested, and they stop at nothing; matching or co-ordinating paintwork, planting and only white fairy lights are allowed at Christmas! To say nothing of keeping it ‘heritage’ and only using the Sparrow and Fall paint chart for colour schemes. No two houses are ever the same and they all know it, there’s some rivalry between mews houses, terraces and those detached, or not. Snobbery, maybe, but it’s all in the best possible fun and friendly competition. If you like, you too can own property from Great Hetherington, as I occasionally produce a ‘property drop’ before Christmas, and for other auspicious occasions! Find original items here in my Etsy store, or email me to order your own Christmas set, Advent Calendar, or House Portrait.
