56: From Floral Art to Fine Art with Brigitte Girling

When creating with flowers is not quite fulfilling you, it's time to pack away the secateurs and pick up the paintbrushes. Brigitte Girling shares her story in Episode 56 of An Art to It. Brigitte is a fine artist based in Suffolk whose vivid, joyful still life paintings celebrate what she calls "the beauty of the everyday." But her route to the easel was anything but straightforward. In this episode, Brigitte talks about a childhood of creative freedom in Framlingham, being steered away from art at school despite loving it, studying psychology at Exeter, teaching primary school children, and eventually building a thriving floral design business specialising in seasonal, chemical-free flowers. When COVID brought events to a halt, Brigitte found herself retrieving a box of art materials from the attic — materials that had been sitting there for a decade — and quietly began to paint. Within a couple of years she had exhibited at the Colchester Art Society, done Suffolk Open Studios, and become artist in residence at Wickham Vineyards in support of the charity Art for Cure. We talk about: The creative thread that runs through every stage of a life, even when it isn't obvious Why she called herself an artist from day one — and why more of us should How her floristry background shaped her composition and colour instincts without her even realising Changing her mind about galleries — and why she's glad she did Self-limiting beliefs, fear of judgement, and the art of ignoring both What it really means to burst out of the chrysalis of other people's expectations   A warm, funny and genuinely inspiring conversation to kick off Series 6. You can see Brigitte's work at brigittegirling.co.uk and @brigittegirling Brigitte talked about: Mandy Leeson of Vanil in Woodbridge @vanil_ltd    https://www.vanil.co.uk/   Kay Prestney Kinship Creative @kinship_creativedc   Art For Cure @artforcure  https://artforcure.org.uk/   Wyken @wykenvineyards   https://www.wykenvineyards.co.uk/   An Art to It: the home of inspiring stories of how women artists and makers turned their creative passion into their business. Hosted by gallery owner and mentor to creatives, Elaine Dye. Follow An Art to It for artist conversations, creative entrepreneurs, creative women and interviews with women artists and makers.