Animals bring budding artists out of their shells

Budding artists may prefer to focus on a still life as their first subject, rather than a live animal - and one Sheffield teacher is offering the best of both worlds.

Claire Cort, who runs the Ay Up Art class at the White Lion pub in Heeley, had offered dogs for her students to draw, but found the models reluctant to sit still.

Luckily, local reptile owners gave her the perfect compromise, with the beginners honing their skills on tortoises.

Cort said: "It was a crazy idea and people were laughing at me going, 'What? You're going to draw tortoises?' And I'm like, why not?"

Cort, better known as CJ, is a former design, technology and arts teacher who became keen to offer art and craft sessions in her community.

She said: "I started Ay Up Art in 2024 and I started my classes to create affordable events in the area that I live in, which is Heeley."

The 49-year-old said: "I'm not ashamed to say I've suffered from depression for many, many years and I've always found that being creative to me is my happy place, my escapism from a very overthinking mind and it relaxes me."

Cort spent 14 years as a secondary school teacher but said it "took over her life" and the long hours meant she was "neglecting" her dog, Maggie, a Westie, who is now 12-and-a-half years old.

So she gave up teaching to become a dog walker full-time, a job which allows her to spend more time with Maggie and but still follow her passion for art.

Cort felt there was a gap in the market for total beginners and those who doubted they had any artistic talent but wanted to try.

"They may have been told at school, 'you're not good at art'. I want to instil confidence in people.

"I think a lot of beginner artists think you're going to be judged and it's not to do with judging."

Cort believes people should be able to express themselves creatively no matter their age.

"Adults deserve to play and experience the capabilities of their imagination."

Cort had held classes on a variety of themes before landing on the idea of tortoises as a good subject for beginners.

"I tried dog life drawing, which was great but obviously dogs don't sit still for very long. They don't pose for, you know, 30 minutes," she said.

Tortoises, on the other hand, are not known for their speed.

Fortunately for Cort, a friend of a friend, Chris Doar, had two Greek (also known as spur-thighed) tortoises and brought them to the first event in September.

And Charlie and Raspberry proved a hit with the class.

Cort said she was "overwhelmed" by the feedback from those who attended.

"Everybody thoroughly enjoyed it. I had a lot of people texting me, saying how much they enjoyed the event," she said.

"And I've got some attendees who came the last time, they're coming again to the next event. So I haven't got many spaces left on that one."

Cort aims to keep numbers at the classes under a dozen so that she can give each participant individual attention.

Proceeds from Charlie and Raspberry's first appearance went to the family-run South Yorkshire Terrapin and Tortoise Rescue centre.

But Cort said class fees are more usually spent on covering the cost of materials she provides for the budding artists to use.

"What's most important to me is that people leave happy," she said.

"I've had people attend my events that have said, 'I can't draw'.

"That's the whole point of being here. By the end of it, they feel so much more confident with their ability. And that to me is the payment.

"It's not necessarily, you know, the profit I make. It's more to do with how people leave the event feeling happy and more confident."

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