Thuline’s artist’s eyes- loving the Lake District

Who can you resist the big brown eyes of the Jersey cow?

25 YEARS ago, I moved here from Belgium. But I still don’t like vinegar on my chips. When the boys were little we had this thing going on. When they were angry with daddy, they would have their chips with mayonnaise, and visa versa… says artist Thuline.

I love living in the Lake District, I never even heard about it. England was London, and I visited there regularly. I will never forget that first morning… I woke up at Dave’s mum’s place, just after Christmas 1995. We arrived in the dark, so there wasn’t much to see.

We had to scrape the ice of the window, and there it was.. The lovely white fields and hills of the Lakest. There and then, I fell in love with the area. Being a city girl, I’ve never seen a woodpecker before… and there it was on the bird feeder in the window.

Driving around the Lakes, I couldn’t believe I was going to live here. A scenery for holidays and films…And after 25 years driving to Windermere on a sunny day, I still get that same holiday feeling, that disbelieve I actually live here….

I still remember the first cow I painted. I took the photograph I worked from coming down Coniston Old Man. It seemed like a fun thing to paint. But it was more than fun, I enjoyed adding the character to the animal, give them personalities and haven’t looked back since. At the time, hardly anybody painted cows so people remembered my art.

Another thing I have to thank the English for is their love for animals. Belgians love their animals too, but not as obsessively as the English… and this has worked very well for me. Animals are my favourite thing to paint. It’s all in the eyes. Giving them a little twinkle. I get excited when I’m painting a dog portrait and see his character appearing.. And it gives a lot of satisfaction to see the happy owners…..

And who can you resist the big brown eyes of the Jersey cow?

I think art is in my blood, My mum was an art teacher too, a very good one. Ex students used to walk up to her 30 years later and told her how much they learned with her. She has always encouraged me to draw. When my dad didn’t want me to go to art school, she encouraged me to do it in evening school.

I studied Interior design as a compromise. A profession, but still ‘arty’. But never I worked as one.Lost interest and started to work in an imigration centre in Ghent. Putting educational packages together to take into school.

Since the tourists are back in Cumbria, things are a lot better. The gallery is busier and people are coming for back workshops. I’m grateful for the support people give to small local businesses.

Best wishes

Thuline