Hey there! Welcome to my first blog post, I thought I’d open with a little bit of background about myself and my work so far.
I’m Cherry (yes that is my real name – no, I’m not kidding!), born in the north of England and raised in the Derbyshire countryside in the misty, wet hills of Buxton and now residing in gorgeous Hertfordshire.
I always loved art at school and being creative but had never considered it being a career, I’d started my art instagram page (@verycherryamber) in early 2012 and had been doodling on and off ever since – I had an affinity for drawing eyes to begin with, they were small and took a bit of time and focus, I remember practicing so much to get them looking realistic, I moved on to full face portraits in graphite and pen.
During 2013 I volunteered as art crew for a local music festival, I’d been drawing portraits for friends and family and spent a few weeks painting in the middle of a field with a really creative bunch of people and had a blast, which set in motion the idea that maybe I could spend my time being creative and call it “work”… the following year I applied for University, I picked 4 different courses as I was still wavering between what I wanted to do and what I thought I should – Veterinary Nursing, Psychology, Law and Illustration, so you know, the normal array… I did however go on to complete my foundation degree in illustration at the University of Hertfordshire in 2016 with a First.
I never picked up any coloured pencils the entire time I was studying, and for those interested – although my course is what got me onto the right path and pushed me into this creative field – I wouldn’t say it was at all necessary. It wasn’t until after I had finished my course, that I drew my first pet portrait in coloured pencils of my girl, Ruby, having been influenced and inspired by some amazing work I’d seen on instagram.
I quickly fell in love with the medium and got stuck into researching materials, what the best coloured pencils were and what paper – it became a minefield pretty fast, so many choices and options and so many people with differing opinions and advice. During this period I was working full-time at a Marriott hotel but was determined to start my own business and start making money in a way that made me happy and fulfilled. In late 2017, I’d decided to make the leap, I’d been planning and saving and had so much support from my partner encouraging me to go for it, I sent in my notice and set about making this website.
So that is my little journey up to now, I am beyond grateful that I get to do something I love daily and I’m so thankful for all your support.
Cherry, xo