Jean Pritchard
Bonny Snowdon 00:07
Hello, I'm Bonny Snowdon, ex-corporate person, a mother turned successful artist-entrepreneur. It wasn't that long ago though that I lacked the confidence, vision and support network to focus on growing my dream business. Fast forward past many life curveballs, waves of self-doubt and so many lessons learned and you'll see Ignite, my thriving online colour pencil artists community, a community that changes members’ lives for the better and gives me freedom to live abundantly, whilst doing what I love and spending quality time with my beloved family and dogs, all whilst creating my best artwork with coloured pencils, and mentoring others to do the same. But this life wasn't always how it was, for me, it used to only exist in my imagination. I've created the It's a Bonny Old life podcast to help increase people's confidence, share mine and my community's experience and hope through fascinating personal stories, champion the other amazing humans in my personal, professional and membership community, and create another channel through which I can support others to realize their dreams. If you're a passionate colour, pencil artist, or an aspiring one, who's looking to create their best work and a joyful life you love, you're in the right place. Grab a cuppa and a custard cream. Let's get cracking. I was really looking forward to chatting to my next guest. She is an incredible artist, wonderful down to earth woman with the most fantastic sense of humour. She has been teaching me to use oils and has such a friendly, easy way of teaching. I'm really, really pleased to be chatting to the one and only Jean Pritchard. Hello.
Jean Pritchard 01:36
Hello.
Bonny Snowdon 01:37
How are you?
Jean Pritchard 01:40
Okay.
Bonny Snowdon 01:43
Oh God, I love your backdrop.
Jean Pritchard 01:46
Oh, that lion.
Bonny Snowdon 01:47
Oh, wow.
Jean Pritchard 01:49
It's quite hard. I'm finding it really hard. So, I'm sort of doing it dead slow.
Bonny Snowdon 01:55
Oh, it looks amazing.
Jean Pritchard 01:57
Thank you, because there are no eyes to focus on.
Bonny Snowdon 02:02
Our that's a really hard thing, isn't it?
Jean Pritchard 02:04
Yeah, and there are lots of different angles, different shadows. It's really taxing, but I am enjoying it. It's one of those I don't want to put down.
Bonny Snowdon 02:13
Yeah. Oh, it's looking beautiful. So, I'm so, so happy that you're joining me for a chat.
Jean Pritchard 02:20
I know.
Bonny Snowdon 02:22
Well, I have to say, I definitely look like an aged rocker with it down.
Jean Pritchard 02:29
I know the feeling.
Bonny Snowdon 02:31
I just thought I can't go anywhere this morning. I've been and had my back and my shoulders done and so I did wash my hair this morning. But it's full of like, oil.
Jean Pritchard 02:40
Yeah, stuff.
Bonny Snowdon 02:41
So, it looks like I've got further but it's not.
Jean Pritchard 02:44
Do you miss not being able to put it up another way?
Bonny Snowdon 02:48
I don't think so. I think when my fringe starts to grow out a little bit. Do you know, I mean, because I get a bit funny with stuff on my face?
Jean Pritchard 02:58
Yeah, my eyes get sorry if my fringe gets too long.
Bonny Snowdon 03:02
Because hair is going in your eyes. But yeah, and that's it and then I just don't bother going to the hairdressers. My hair just gets longer and longer and then I'm like, oh, well, I'll just put the front up and then I'll look like a Yorkshire [inaudible].
Jean Pritchard 03:15
That's like me. Yeah.
Bonny Snowdon 03:17
I'm so happy to have this chat and I'd really like, because you've got so many fans and when I mentioned that I was going to be talking to you and I've had people messaging me going, can you tell me when Jean’s podcast is on, please? I was like, I will chat to her in a couple of days, don't worry. So, you've got such a huge fan base, and your work is just-
Jean Pritchard 03:39
Oh, thank you.
Bonny Snowdon 03:40
Honestly, unbelievable. But I think what's really, really nice as well and I think you and I share this a little bit, we're just sort of down to earth women.
Jean Pritchard 03:50
Yeah. Yeah. Just trying to jog on trying to get along, trying to get a bit of work done, doing what we like to do that's what I think it's great, really. I think we're very lucky that we can do what we like doing.
Bonny Snowdon 04:10
Yes, definitely, definitely. So, you used to be a watercolour artist?
Jean Pritchard 04:15
Yes. That's what I was brought upon. My uncle was a landscape artist, and he did watercolours, he was self-taught and he did watercolours and he used to give me like, lessons every Christmas, when we went to visit and things like that when you were that sort of thing when you were little. So, I was brought up on watercolour really? And when I went to art college, we just did watercolour or goulash. We tried as well, and that's I'd never done oils in my life before, never and my uncle, he was my godfather as well and he gave me an old box of Reeves oil paints that he'd got in a secondhand shop and it was about three years before he died, I think and he gave me those and I'd never bothered with them and it was only after he died and I thought, I'm going to try oils just for something to do. I was going through a bit of a bad divorce and wanted something to occupy my mind and I tried it. I went to a local class. What's the word? Night school, I went to a night school class, and did one term because I didn't want to come out with the same techniques as the person that was taking it. I didn't want to be him, if you know what I mean. I just wanted to know what to mix with them, really. I hadn't got a clue, didn't want to read a book because I was lazy. So, I thought I'll go to a night school and that was it then. but I never touched them again, for I would say a couple of years, never bothered, did a couple of landscapes in them, never bothered and then I was taking a wardrobe apart, and I use the back of the wardrobe and I painted a bowl oil hour on it. That was hung up in my house for a few years and that was it, then I thought, well quite like this oil business. So, I did a couple of pet portraits in it and then that was it, then I was hooked. Finally, I do it in a very watercolour way because I was brought up with watercolours and because I'm used to doing layers, I find it easy to do that. I thought I was doing it all wrong. But I've since found out that quite a few oil artists do lots of thin layers and it's okay to do it your way. There's not one set rule I'm always thinking that I'm doing something wrong, that I'm doing it wrong and I try and keep quiet about it. Because I think I'm doing it wrong.
Bonny Snowdon 06:59
Do you know that's so interesting? That is really, really interesting and isn't it funny that even the calibre of artists that you are you still have those little niggly doubts.
Jean Pritchard 07:09
Yeah, every painting that I start, I'm nervous about. I think, am I going to be able to do it? Is it all gone? That sort of thing. I'm very tentative when I first start and then about three days into it, that's when I start slapping it on because it it's coming together. It's looking like I want it to look. But every painting a start I'm nervous about, it's weird.
Bonny Snowdon 07:40
Yeah. Yet when you teach, because I know, we haven't managed to hang anymore because I ended up being busy.
Jean Pritchard 07:48
Too busy, Bonny.
Bonny Snowdon 07:49
I know. It's either being too busy. I was wondering whether I was thinking, oh, God, am I going to have to cancel this afternoon? Because it couldn't finish my dried. This morning, what time do leave? Nine o'clock. Half past 11 thinking, oh, gosh and I'm thinking, where are they all? Where are they all? Two and a half hours. They finished it and it looks amazing. But when you teach, it's very laid back, laid back in a good way. It's very gentle. It's very much a case of there's no right or wrong, and you describe things really, really well, particularly for somebody like me who, yes, I can draw whatever but a paintbrush is a very, very different compared to a pencil.
Jean Pritchard 08:40
It was really weird because it was only when I've started the zoom this time that I've realized that some people have never picked up a paintbrush before. They've only ever had pencils or pastels. They have never used a paintbrush and I can't get that through into my head. Everyone knew how to hold a paintbrush.
Bonny Snowdon 08:58
It's funny, isn't it? For you because there's so much give in a paintbrush. Well, until you hit the wood.
Jean Pritchard 09:07
Yeah, well, it's practice, isn't it?
Bonny Snowdon 09:08
Exactly, exactly. What was really good for me having some lessons with you was I kind of put myself in that position that my students are in and you're going right we'll just do this and I'm like, how on earth is she doing that? Hang on a second Jean. Just what are you doing? [inaudible] a straight line and I'm like, mine looks like it's been done with hammer and tongs.
Jean Pritchard 09:32
I never realized that people hadn't picked up a paintbrush before. I mean, you should see me when I'm decorating, when I'm doing the skating board. I use a sable brush. I get a brush from B&Q and I think no, can't be doing with this brush. So, I've got routine in my studio and then I come out with a sable brush and I do all types of my skating board with a sable brush, it's so funny
Bonny Snowdon 09:49
So, you're based in Cumbria, are you?
Bonny Snowdon 10:04
Near the sea?
Jean Pritchard 10:04
Yeah, just outside Barrow in Furness in a village, outside Barrow, right on the end of the earth, people call it. It's the biggest cul-de-sac in the world. Takes us an hour to get to the motorway.
Jean Pritchard 10:22
Yeah, right now, I'll go down to the beach every morning with the dogs. Well, my husband is a beach body. So we've got to be near the sea. Wherever we go, we'll have to be near the sea.
Bonny Snowdon 10:34
Right, and have you always lived there?
Jean Pritchard 10:37
I was born in Manchester and then we moved to Barrow when I was about 18 months, and then apart from being at college, I've always lived around here. Yes, this is our spot. We don't go into the lakes. People that move here don't go into the lakes because there are too many people. There are too many tourists. I'm not a people person. Especially since lockdown.
Bonny Snowdon 11:06
Honestly, I never go out.
Jean Pritchard 11:10
No, I think, oh my god, I've got to get out my pyjamas.
Bonny Snowdon 11:14
I know. What is all that about? It's quite nice.
Jean Pritchard 11:19
I know. I did a demo last night and my daughter said to me, I hope you're not going like that.
Bonny Snowdon 11:27
Were you all dressed up?
Jean Pritchard 11:29
In my pyjamas.
Bonny Snowdon 11:32
Your daughter sounds like mine. We went for lunch, and she kind of looked me up and down. She went, are you getting changed? I'm like no, I'm going like this, and I did. I wasn't in my pyjamas though.
Jean Pritchard 11:47
I do the test score click and collect so I don't have to get bothered about getting dressed.
Bonny Snowdon 11:53
It's terrible. I mean, to be honest, my eldest son very regularly on a Sunday morning, I think he kind of disappears in his car. He's only in his dressing gown and goes to the McDonald's drive-through for breakfast.
Jean Pritchard 12:05
Yeah. See, we're not the only ones.
Bonny Snowdon 12:10
No, not at all. Not at all. So, you've been a full-time artist for quite a long time, haven't you?
Jean Pritchard 12:15
I'd say probably about 12 years now. But I've been very lucky over the first part of it because most of them works and he's the breadwinner. So, I haven't had to rely on what I bring in. It's only in the last couple of years when with the pandemic, and then he was furloughed in Canada because he's working in Canada at the moment. So, there wasn't a wage coming in as such and that's when I really had to put my thinking cap on. I did go to one of your bids like a webinar the question-and-answer session, in January, it was. There were loads on, there were over 100 others must have been, you will have noticed me. But you did answer a question for me and I was so upset because I just didn't know what to do, where to go. I've never had to push myself the way that I have had to the last couple of years and it was very strange to me, because I thought like, if I could sit in my studio, Bonny and just paint and let somebody else do the advertising, and pushing and taking pictures around exhibitions, and showing things, I'd be really happy with that. I'm not a seller. I find it very, very strange and I find it very hard to push, push, push. But you did answer my question. You did sort of not give me a slap round the fist but sort of speaking, you did and you told me what was what and stuff and then it was Sue Melville that asked me all the time to do an oil painting lesson because I've taught for 25 years locally, just watercolours and I've just started an oil class in like the last couple of years before COVID. It's either before COVID. Well, we're hoping it's going to be after COVID and I hadn't done it in 12 months because we stopped the classes of course. So, that's when I started doing a lot of research on YouTube. I went to somebody's free life drawing session just to see what it was about. Never been on Zoom before and that's when it all started and I am really very proud of myself for actually finding out what to do. I started with a tiny little 30-pound webcam and went from there, really, and then I've just invested back into it.
Bonny Snowdon 15:04
I know how you feel because that's exactly how when I started recording, you do your research, don't you? You look on YouTube, you kind of think, which is the best one and a lot of the time, I mean, I ended up in a camera shop, asking this guy, I need a camera that I'm going to be able to record with and I have to be able to save everything on my desktop. I didn't know, OBS or whether ecard or anything like that and he showed me this thing that's called a black box and it was so complicated and I was like, I have no idea. The more you look and the more you dig, the more you buy the wrong equipment.
Jean Pritchard 15:43
I've got a box full. A plastic box full of camera equipment.
Bonny Snowdon 15:49
We should not have an auction, Jean. Bonny and Jean useless camera equipment for sale.
Jean Pritchard 15:57
When I think I need something, I keep rooting it thinking, I'm sure I've got one of them.
Bonny Snowdon 16:01
You do that thing where you buy loads and loads of different tripods.
Jean Pritchard 16:05
Oh yeah, I've got loads of different, it's all around the studio hanging from every shelf.
Bonny Snowdon 16:10
None of them do the job. You've the camera on and the camera just goes. Then I found I bought one tripod and I was like, oh, this is rubbish and then I took the top bit of it and that now is attached to my Monferrato super cap.
Jean Pritchard 16:28
Yeah, Monferrato is the way to go.
Bonny Snowdon 16:33
Honestly, but I honestly believe and it's the same really with starting a new medium and everything like that, got to do your own research. Because otherwise you can even go to somebody and say, what's your equipment and I can go well, I've got this. I've got this. I'm really happy to share. But it's almost like, they then kind of come back and well how do you set it up?
Jean Pritchard 16:58
If you do, you do that with my camera?
Bonny Snowdon 17:01
Well, I mean, I think you've got the same one as me, have you?
Jean Pritchard 17:04
Yeah, I've got two now.
Bonny Snowdon 17:06
They're so good. I must admit, oh, have you got them coming in different directions.
Jean Pritchard 17:10
I've got a palette cam.
Bonny Snowdon 17:12
Palette cam. I know. I love it. I might have to have a pencil tin cam where they're just whirling around for 10 minutes.
Jean Pritchard 17:21
I just thought about it because they like to see how you mix. I did a demo last night at Lancaster and they were looking at my palette and they thought that I mixed all my colours beforehand, which I don't. I just mix as I go, which is what I'm used to doing. But some of the artists mix the whole lot right at the beginning and then paint with that. Well, I can't do that. It bore me senseless doing that. Mixing colours for an hour.
Bonny Snowdon 17:48
Yeah, and it's the same as swatching for colour paint artists. I've got these new colours, and I've swatched them all out and then I'm going to, these are the colours I'm going to use and I'm like, oh, no.
Jean Pritchard 18:00
Oh, no. I can't think of anything more boring than doing that.
Bonny Snowdon 18:04
I just dive straight.
Jean Pritchard 18:08
I do that as well. But I had like my old little webcam over my palate. But now I've upgraded to one of those Sony cams.
Bonny Snowdon 18:18
It is so worth it.
Jean Pritchard 18:20
Very good. Yeah
Bonny Snowdon 18:21
Really good. I've got this little one as well actually. What's this one? This is the Sony ZV1.
Jean Pritchard 18:27
Let me write that down.
Bonny Snowdon 18:32
It's like a little camera. I've had this for a while actually, it comes with like a little stand. People can’t even… They won’t be able to see this…
Jean Pritchard 18:41
That's good.
Bonny Snowdon 18:42
But this is really, really great for taking, you know if you're going to do face to camera shots. Which, I have to say I've never been a real fan of doing a face to camera because my face is much more suited to radio and podcasts.
Jean Pritchard 19:00
Mine is too.
Bonny Snowdon 19:00
But actually, it is really, really good. The quality and the sound and everything. It's got a good little microphone.
Jean Pritchard 19:05
All right. Do you have to use a cam-link with it?
Bonny Snowdon 19:09
No. I just I just record straight into SD on that and the only time I do my camera link is when I'm doing a Zoom. So, I'm kind of recording up above but that cam-link I managed to get one before they all sold out, weren't available for ages.
Jean Pritchard 19:30
Well, I got one and then it was too short. I needed it because it is easier and everything. So, that I really looked, and looked and looked and have found a longer one, so I got that as well.
Bonny Snowdon 19:44
It's things like microphone wires, getting the right mic. I had one. It was just too short so; everything was sort of very tense.
Jean Pritchard 19:53
Oh, no. Yeah, yeah. Well, when Shawn came home, I messaged him because he was like still in Canada, and I wanted something off the ceiling because I'm on an easel. I used to when I was doing watercolours at a desk, but I couldn't cope with it because I'd started doing the Zooms at a desk. So, I had to come up above, but it was so foreign to me and I was so uncomfortable and I wanted to be at the easel and I was on a tripod, I had all sorts of weights on the tripod, so I didn't knock it over and it was hanging on my shoulder and you're hanging around that you're trying to pin around a tripod and it was really hard. So, I did a lot of research and I found that thing that sits on the ceiling, it's like it comes to you and it pulls down and that's a light fit in ups for studio lights that you put on the wall and bring it out at right angles. But I said to Shawn, do a little go on the ceiling, and when it came it was really heavy. Anyway, that was his job at Christmas. Putting that out for me and Bonny it's the best thing I've ever had. Absolutely brilliant. There's nothing on the floor. I can just push it back up when I don't need it.
Bonny Snowdon 20:05
You say when you sent me the details for that and I do that one because be quite nice to have. I've got like a rig to my floor and ceiling. So, actually, I did have them on like tripods before and the dogs would just walk past and knock them over and I'm like no.
Jean Pritchard 21:32
You can get those rigs like yours, but they come from the ceiling instead of the floor.
Bonny Snowdon 21:39
You just attached them to the ceiling. Yeah.
Jean Pritchard 21:44
Do it that way. I've been all over YouTube.
Bonny Snowdon 21:45
It's brilliant, isn't it? Spend hours and hours and hours.
Jean Pritchard 21:51
Yeah, and I taught myself it all on YouTube because I hate technology, absolutely hate it. I mean, Jane runs my TikTok.
Bonny Snowdon 22:01
You've got a TikTok?
Jean Pritchard 22:02
Yeah, I do. I don't know what's on it. But she keeps telling me oh, you've got so and so many, you've got so and so many likes on this and then if someone asks me a question, she always asked me first and then answers.
Bonny Snowdon 22:19
You're not dancing, are you on it?
Jean Pritchard 22:21
No. No. It will be silly.
Bonny Snowdon 22:26
Either in any way a dumb?
Jean Pritchard 22:27
No, I don't show my face.
Bonny Snowdon 22:29
Oh, dear. Look at her, 8,000 followers and 5,000 likes.
Jean Pritchard 22:36
She was bored one holiday because she's a teacher and she was bored on holiday and she said can I make a TikTok, I said, well work away.
Bonny Snowdon 22:44
Oh, that's brilliant.
Jean Pritchard 22:46
I don't understand it at all. I do go on it now and again and have a look to see what she's doing?
Bonny Snowdon 22:50
Yeah. How fantastic. They're great.
Jean Pritchard 22:54
I know. Some people are really good on TikTok. Lizelle from the Association of Animal Artists is really, really good on TikTok. She does some great videos, but I can't.
Bonny Snowdon 23:06
You see I'm afraid. I have got a TikTok for one of my accounts, and we can't get into it anymore and it's got quite a lot of followers, and it's really distressing. I don't know whether it's been hacked or whether I just can't know. So, I started a new one, but I'm looking at putting stuff on it. But I'm afraid I cannot bear the dancing. Unless you are, I don't know whether it's an art. I don't know. You see I follow a few people on TikTok just on my personal account and I think it's hilarious. But the art side of stuff. I just get a bit more if you're going to do art, just do art.
Jean Pritchard 23:54
Yeah, yeah. I'm like that. Sometimes I think, what if I put a cardboard cutout of a bikini-clad girl next to my picture?
Bonny Snowdon 24:08
I tell you what, Jean-
Jean Pritchard 24:10
Those days are gone, Bonny, for me.
Bonny Snowdon 24:14
I have recently totally and utterly embraced who I am because you can go through social media and you can see and it's wonderful if you're young, or you're old, or you're whatever, and you're beautiful, and you're slim, and you're mobile and you're whatever and I politely embraced who I am and actually, I think I've done better from just embracing exactly who I am because people aren't interested in what we look like they're interested in our good hearts and our art.
Jean Pritchard 24:57
Yeah. That's what took me a long while with Zoom was getting in front of the camera. I think because I've hidden myself away for so long. You feel a bit embarrassed and because of course, we're getting older as well just imagine Bonny, what we would have been like if we had all of this technology when we were in our 20s? We would have been evil.
Bonny Snowdon 25:24
I'd have been doing TikTok downs, my man, I'd have been doing a lot of things with my bottom showing, a lot of it.
Jean Pritchard 25:35
My friend always says that just imagine what we would have been like Jean, I said, oh, I know. Wouldn’t be worth thinking about earlier.
Bonny Snowdon 25:42
You've just posted on your Instagram a picture of you when you were at art college.
Jean Pritchard 25:48
Yeah, yeah. I loved art college. It was at Blackpool. It wasn't a degree course. It was an HND course because I believe the scientific and technical illustration course that I went on, they couldn't get it as a degree course, something to do with funding. That's what I was told. I was only six months in college actually and I was going to have the route where I was going to be a teacher. That sort of route didn't really know what I wanted to do. Did a placement in a junior school, came home and said there was no way I was spending my life in a classroom full of kids. Nowhere. So, then a fellow from Blackpool art college called Keith Ward came and did a talk about the scientific and technical illustration course and he brought all this work and that was it then that was what I wanted to do. I thought it was absolutely wonderful. So, I went home all hell-bent to get into Blackpool, got into Blackpool and I'll go back tomorrow. I absolutely loved that course. It was brilliant. There were lots of artists on there. I mean, Mike Jackson is still painting, he taught us. Mel Tootle, John Liddell, an airbrush artist absolutely brilliant, and you could see their work and the late Dave Johnson. He was an absolutely fantastic artist and you could see their work, they used to bring it into the studio, which made you want to do better as well. But I just loved it. I just loved the lifestyle and I just loved the course, loved the work and I believe now it's all on the computer. There's no painting involved in it at all, because I did it when illustration was illustrations. So, everything in a book was done by hand. Now, it's all done on a computer, which is such a shame, really. The only thing that I would have liked, I think I would have liked to have done a fine art course when I came out of there because all my work was so tight and precise. It took me years and years to loosen up and I know people think my work is detailed now but it's not detailed. Like I was at Blackpool.
Bonny Snowdon 28:15
Yeah, I mean, it is beautifully detailed, but there's a very lovely softness to it and there's movement to it. It's not static and I mean, it's obviously like a photo.
Jean Pritchard 28:28
I know what you mean it's not really.
Bonny Snowdon 28:31
I mean, that's a huge compliment, because that was the main but there's a just a beautiful quality to your work.
Jean Pritchard 28:38
Thank you.
Bonny Snowdon 28:41
Whenever I talked [inaudible], now you just have to go and follow Jean because her work is amazing and all giddy about it.
Jean Pritchard 28:48
But the thing is, I think a lot of it is really learning to look at what you're trying to paint yes, it's all right. We use photographs for reference. But you've got to put your bit into that and I think I did a demo for Barrow society this year and Graham Twyford, he is a really brilliant oil artist and he actually said, you know my work because of your edges, and he's dead right? I look at edges all the time like soft edges or hard edges. Sometimes I'll just suggest them. I think edges are really important and I think fair enough, you can be trained at art college, but I think it's what you learn when you come out of that college that's the important part. Art college you're cosseted in a way, which what you learn after that, I've learned more after that. Yes, I had a good grounding there and it was really good. It made me look. But it's what I've learned since painting-wise, not so much the earning aspect of it, just the painting aspect of it's what I've learned since that I think that's the artist in me. Do you see what I mean?
Bonny Snowdon 30:07
I do. Well, every genre of art has its fans, and people do like it there are people who, who love modern art, and there are other people who are like, my five-year-old could do that type of thing and actually, that's not really the point of modern art. You know, there's so much more that goes into it. But with realism you get people just going, oh, they'd all look the same and it's totally untrue.
Jean Pritchard 30:33
It is totally untrue. I think even with people that do real realism, they put the bit themselves into it, they bring something else out in that and you should be able to see that they bring a bit more out into it. I mean, yes, you know their work from photographs, we all work from photographs. But it's what you put into that, that counts. I always look for photographs that haven't been manipulated. Because there are a lot of photographers who like to put them on an app and do things with them, but rather I want the proper version and then I can put my own spin on it. But I go to life drawing a lot because I work from photographs, I like to get my eye in drawing wise. I like to know that I can draw. Because we work from photographs so much, really and it annoys the hell out. I mean, I had somebody on Instagram said the other day about well, we might as well just put a photograph up and I thought, well, if you're an artist, you should know better than that, really. I'm at that age now where I just can't be bothered with the BS.
Bonny Snowdon 31:47
Oh, I know, I know. Well, I don't even know why people do it. I really don't understand why people want to say and to be honest, I don't even respond.
Jean Pritchard 32:03
No, well. I don't know. I did answer. But I thought it was very, very good, actually. There was no swearing involved. I did it in a good mood.
Bonny Snowdon 32:17
I don't understand why people feel the need to be unkind.
Jean Pritchard 32:22
I just don't think you should do that on another artist's work. Even if you think oh, yeah, it's all right. But it's not my cup of tea. You don't say that.
Bonny Snowdon 32:34
Not on somebody's.
Jean Pritchard 32:35
No, no. I just don't think it's right and I just don't think you should do it. Just don't say anything.
Bonny Snowdon 32:44
There are times when it's like really, really upset me.
Jean Pritchard 32:46
Yeah, I've been like that.
Bonny Snowdon 32:49
Not being very kind at all and having a guy and actually, now I'm just like, I can't even. I'm not wasting my energy. Because I've got a lot of energy, and I've got a lot of good energy, and I've got a lot of things that I want to be doing. So, I don't want to get all caught up in somebody else's rubbish.
Jean Pritchard 33:08
You don't need to. I mean, look at everything that you've done, Bonny, you know what I mean? It's phenomenal. You don't need to listen to all that BS.
Bonny Snowdon 33:16
It's so funny because I'm not very good at celebrating my own wins. Since sort of the stuff that happened with my husband happened, I've been doing a lot of internal work, and to really look into myself, and because I have got a lot of plans and what I'm doing at the moment is, it's amazing. It's absolutely amazing.
Jean Pritchard 33:42
I know.
Bonny Snowdon 33:43
I need to keep myself on a level where I can keep going and the only reason, well, it's not the only reason, but one of the reasons why I am here now doing what I'm doing is I have relinquished an awful lot of control of my business, to, I mean, I've got control that I know what's going on. But I've gone, if I want to grow, and I want to get where I want to be, I need to start actually delegating properly, and have people do things for me and be happy for people. I was in a really good position to be able to do that. Because I'd started to earn in that I could take somebody on and it was the best decision I ever made. Because it meant then growth. You get to a point where you can't take on anymore and then it's either I can't take it anymore. So, I'm just going to keep going a little bit and then it's completely burnt out and you can't carry on or you just go I can't do it and I'm just going to reduce what I'm doing. Sometimes it is a case of you've just got to carry on but actually taking that step of just getting even if it's just an hour a day, it's really, really helpful, because the stuff that's happening in my business now is just bonkers
Jean Pritchard 35:07
I bet. It's wonderful, really, isn't it?
Bonny Snowdon 35:13
Do you know, it really is wonderful and I'm starting to actually understand, and I am actually doing a really good job and I'm creating a really lovely, safe place for my children, and for their future and everything like that and that's the most important thing. But also, I really love it.
Jean Pritchard 35:36
Yeah. I mean, you've been a great inspiration. I mean I'm not business-minded at all like you, but you've been a great inspiration as to pushing myself. You know, I find. I think that's it's been really good this year, sort of becoming friends and you've been there I think, no, no, you're going to do it, learn, push yourself, push yourself and it's the same with the demos that I do that was pushing myself because I would have never. I haven't done a demo in 25 years and I wouldn't do it at all and then I suddenly said, all right. Well, come on, let's get out of my comfort zone and do it and I think you've taught me that totally and going for a gallery, and going because Art Co have taken some of my work for prints now. So, that's all around the country. I would never have done that before. I would have carried on do on prints, trying to sell them.
Bonny Snowdon 36:42
This is what's wonderful that if you can think it, if you can imagine it, and you can think this is what I want for my art, you can do it.
Jean Pritchard 36:54
You did say to me, do you want to be a teacher or I want to be an artist. I said I want to be an artist. Yes, I want to teach or do I want to be known just as a teacher. I want to be a wildlife artist and that's what I sort of pushed to be. I'm still very slow. It takes me a lot of thinking about what to actually get over it and mull over it and then obviously, I'll do it after about two months. But I'm very, very proud of what I've done in the last, it's nothing to what you've done. But for me it is.
Bonny Snowdon 37:34
I know. But I guess you have to think I've had somebody, well, I say she's full time. We only work a four-day week. I've had Lucy for nearly two years. It'll be two years in October. She's taken a huge amount of work off and I also have a PA now, this sounds weird. Do you know what, it's the most wonderful thing in the whole world?
Jean Pritchard 38:02
Yeah. I mean, I don't know how you do it. I really don't know how you do it. Because you've got so much going on. It's just unreal
Bonny Snowdon 38:12
Well, I'm much more organized now. So, we have a definite plan of action and obviously, I have people helping me.
Jean Pritchard 38:25
Your mind must be going all the time, Bonny.
Bonny Snowdon 38:27
Yes, it is and, do you know what, I've just enrolled in a coaching NLP Master. I've just enrolled in that I've got 16 days of study coming up.
Jean Pritchard 38:41
Right. Very good. What's that about? What's that doing?
Bonny Snowdon 38:46
Coaching and NLP. So, neuro-linguistic programming and so I've done my coaching degree before, but this is going to be like a refresher and bring some of that NLP which is all about humans rarely and, it's going to be fantastic for me to be able to then bring that into my teaching because my teaching has all of that coaching.
Jean Pritchard 39:07
Yes. I've noticed that.
Bonny Snowdon 39:10
Helping people build the confidence and everything. Yes, I teach people to draw. But I think the main thing about what I do is really building people up. So, I've got that coming up and then I've just started my next big project, which I'm really excited about. Which I'm hoping to launch next year, but there's a lot of thinking in that. It's not just a case of, this is what we're going to do and then off we go and do it. There is a lot about that thinking time behind it. So, yeah, I've got a lot of things.
Jean Pritchard 39:48
You're always thinking of the next thing to do whereas I'm quite happy painting.
Bonny Snowdon 39:53
I would be really happy just sitting in and painting, I think but yeah, I'm always and it's not that I want to take over the world or anything like that. It's just me, I just want you to [inaudible].
Jean Pritchard 40:09
I realise that, yeah.
Bonny Snowdon 40:10
It's more around wanting to help people. So, if I bring this up and help these people, it can help these people.
Jean Pritchard 40:16
What's she doing now?
Bonny Snowdon 40:20
Honestly, I know some people think I'm trying to take over the world.
Jean Pritchard 40:24
No, I think it's good.
Bonny Snowdon 40:25
It's not a case of that at all. It's just in me. I guess that's an entrepreneur, isn't it?
Jean Pritchard 40:33
Yeah. Well, yeah, really it is. I mean, I haven't got that bit in me, I don't think. I think that was just gone at birth.
Bonny Snowdon 40:45
What's brilliant is that people are being able to tap into your expertise and you're [inaudible].
Jean Pritchard 40:52
It's nice. I mean, he said that last night at the demo, I explained it really well and I think that's, I think that's worth doing the zoom as well. Because it's very similar to doing it in an in-person class and your cameras on your work all the time. But you are explaining more, and you talk solidly, for two hours, people must just go to sleep hearing my advice and what blows me away Bonny, it's from all over the world. There are people from America, Canada, New Zealand, India, France, Germany, all together, sometimes there's a bit of a time difference. So, they catch up from the recordings, but they're all together in one class, and some people have been coming for a good over 12 months now and they all get quite friendly, and the friendly on this Facebook Zoom page, which is really nice, because you can post on that quite safely as well and they're all like a little community, I suppose you have that as well.
Bonny Snowdon 42:03
I think that that is one of the nicest things to have. When you start something like what you've been doing, you start to build this lovely group of people that have you're they're all like-minded, they'll all have flocked to you, because they really love your personality as well as the way you teach and that personality, I think is such a massive thing because you can have somebody teaching, they can just go yes, do this, do this, do this and do this and it's all very sort of clinical but when you've got somebody real, who will share real-life experiences they will have a bit of laugh, not perfect and not got the perfect setup all of the time and when I first started, it was all a bit hit and miss and I think people love that, they love that reality, they want to be able to kind of connect with somebody because they're not perfect or anything like that and I just think it's fantastic.
Jean Pritchard 43:05
Yeah, well, I don't like the technicality that is around aisles. People tend to shy away from aisles because they think it's too technical and that's what I wanted to take away from it. Just paint, don't think about the technical side of it. It's not going to disappear the paint. Just paint. Don't worry about it because some people, I'm on a Facebook page where they get really technical about it, and the makeup of each paint and the recipe in each paint and I'm thinking, oh, for goodness’ sake, just paint. It's a colour, just paint.
Bonny Snowdon 43:48
Okay, it's just colour.
Jean Pritchard 43:50
But I think that comes with age as well. I think once you get a bit older, you like what you like, and you can't be bothered with all the rest of it. If you know what I mean?
Bonny Snowdon 44:03
Yeah, I think you'd become a little bit less precious as well about, like, what people think about you and all of that type of stuff. Just like somebody doesn't like me. There's not an awful lot I can do about that.
Jean Pritchard 44:16
I've learned that, I've learned that. I did go through quite a bad time about three years ago, my dad was really poorly before he died and then I was getting this local guy was twining on about my work and he didn't like it because, well, I don't know why he's more of an abstract artist himself. So, he was calling me a lot and I felt it got me a lot of time and I felt really alone and nearly gave it all up. But I just totally blocked him which you can do. It's the best thing about social media. You can totally block him. So, that's what I did and I sort of got myself through it. I mean, it was a hard time with my dad. But coming through that now, I'd think it wouldn't bother me. But he just caught me at a really bad time. That's what I don't like about people having a got other artists on their page or on their post. Don't do it. Just don't do it. You don't know what that artist is going through. So, just don't do it. I mean, I could have given the whole lot up there and then, that's how bad I felt. I thought I can't do it.
Bonny Snowdon 45:36
It's dreadful how that happens and I mean, I've had some instances, I won't go into it, and it's just not nice at all.
Jean Pritchard 45:48
No, it isn't. I've got no time for the people like that. I think they're on self-importance, really.
Bonny Snowdon 46:00
Exactly and you just block them and move on and that's that and I think it goes on more than you realize. But I mean you've got a lovely community around you.
Jean Pritchard 46:13
Thank you. Yeah, it's nice.
Bonny Snowdon 46:16
You're account and everything is growing and growing.
Jean Pritchard 46:20
Yep, hopefully. I'm just trying to get as much on Instagram as I've got on TikTok, try to beat Jane on TikTok.
Bonny Snowdon 46:29
Oh, that's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I must admit, when I go on TikTok, I normally go on and watch, sounds really awful. But I did admit to this. I just watch good looking men.
Jean Pritchard 46:45
If I were already that age.
Bonny Snowdon 46:46
This guy, I can't remember his name, and he just smiles. That's on TikTok. There's a filter on and everything but he just stands there, kind of looking at you and then all of a sudden, he smiles and as soon as he smiles you have to smile with him and I'm sitting there just watching. My children are like oh, you're not watching that smiling man again. Are you, mom? No, he's smiling at me.
Jean Pritchard 47:14
It brightens your day, Bonny. It's all right, isn't it?
Bonny Snowdon 47:19
And cats doing funny things.
Jean Pritchard 47:22
Yeah, I like that with dogs.
Bonny Snowdon 47:23
Basset hounds and stuff, honestly.
Jean Pritchard 47:27
I know. I'm terrible. That's the trouble.
Bonny Snowdon 47:32
You just find yourself sat there and kind of got a stiff neck.
Jean Pritchard 47:37
I know.
Bonny Snowdon 47:38
Dog videos. I don't know. So, what's in store for you this weekend? Are you doing lots of drawing or painting or?
Jean Pritchard 47:46
Well, I've got a live interview tonight on Instagram.
Bonny Snowdon 47:49
Oh, with Julie.
Jean Pritchard 47:52
Yeah, I'll have to get a bit of soft lighting for that. Love to get a bit of gauze or a bit of tights over my camera.
Bonny Snowdon 48:04
She's nice, Julie.
Jean Pritchard 48:06
Yeah, I know. I was very surprised and then I saw who she was interviewing. I thought right. I've got to do it. Got to do it.
Bonny Snowdon 48:13
Yeah, I think we've got a date for me to do. I can't remember what date we sat.
Jean Pritchard 48:19
I saw that she'd sent it to you, but she sent me the questions.
Bonny Snowdon 48:26
I said don't bother with questions.
Jean Pritchard 48:28
Well, I just really wanted it as an idea.
Bonny Snowdon 48:32
Maybe we should have done that with ours. Oh, sorry.
Jean Pritchard 48:38
Well, because I mean, I've listened to all your other podcasts and it's just getting an idea because I've never done it before of what is asked and what I've got to think about because when I paint I tend to listen to a lot of documentaries and crime documentaries on YouTube or Discovery or something like that. You know that you can listen to you don't have to watch all the time. So, my head is full of that really, and poltergeist, anything paranormal.
Bonny Snowdon 49:08
Really?
Jean Pritchard 49:09
Oh, I love it.
Bonny Snowdon 49:10
Oh, God, it terrifies me.
Jean Pritchard 49:13
We went ghost hunting once a few years ago with a friend and I think all we did was giggle.
Bonny Snowdon 49:18
Really. Funnily enough, I was born and brought up for 15 years in the building that I think now is part of the ghost walk in the city and it had to be exercised at one point because there were some like weird goings-on and my sister saw something. She saw something. I mean, it was the old deanery in Ripon right back in that I think is the 14th century 13th, 14th. The fans like bones and burial sites in there and all sorts.
Jean Pritchard 50:01
Fascinates me. I love those.
Bonny Snowdon 50:06
Yeah. So, apparently, the bedroom in my old bedroom is where there was this old lady in a rocking chair. I'm like, well, she never woke me up. A really beautiful old building.
Jean Pritchard 50:22
I love it. I love watching and I've been into watching on YouTube, these people that go around famous people's graves. There's a Hollywood cemetery, where there are loads of people, but I know it's really weird. I thought, what am I doing, watching a headstone with like Marilyn Monroe.
Bonny Snowdon 50:46
Well, that's pretty interesting.
Jean Pritchard 50:48
It's just unreal, really, I'm just fascinated by stories and stuff like that. But it's a bit morbid, really, I do not think.
Bonny Snowdon 50:56
Well, I guess that is what you're interested in. At the moment, I'm into audiobooks, and is about manifestation and positivity and that kind of stuff and listening to a few podcasts on Facebook affairs. You don't get much more interesting than a podcast on Facebook affairs.
Jean Pritchard 51:16
Well very louder to themselves really out, are they?
Bonny Snowdon 51:19
Look it up.
Jean Pritchard 51:22
I tried a few of those and I thought, well, that was a waste of money.
Bonny Snowdon 51:26
Oh, well, I have somebody who does mine for me just because-
Jean Pritchard 51:30
I don't understand them.
Bonny Snowdon 51:32
I cannot tell you how complicated it is.
Jean Pritchard 51:35
I know.
Bonny Snowdon 51:36
Facebook changes stuff all the time.
Jean Pritchard 51:38
I've realized that people keep saying, oh, it's the algorithms and I keep thinking, well, what's an algorithm? I haven't got a clue. I think, because I'm not interested in it, just goes in one ear, it doesn't even register anywhere in my brain and just flies out the other ear. Because I'm not interested.
Bonny Snowdon 51:57
I think when it comes to social media, when I started mine in 2016, or whatever, and mine I've got quite big [inaudible].
Jean Pritchard 52:06
You have, yeah.
Bonny Snowdon 52:06
When Lucy joined me, and she was a social media expert, she said, right, I've got this checklist. You need to make sure that you're doing everything that's on this checklist. This is what you should be doing. I don't think she checked anything off. She said, Bonny, you're not doing anything that they say you should be doing yet you're doing really well. I post whenever I want to post, I post whatever I want to post. I engage with people. So, I say thank you, or at least I like what they're doing and I give value.
Jean Pritchard 52:40
What I've noticed is I think the more followers you get, then you start to get more followers. I think you really had started and then after that, I mean, the other day I had loads on Facebook, more followers on Facebook, and apparently, something had gone out. I suggested a pose which I didn't know anything about. Then I got the dodgy ones as well. All the puppy selling and, hello you look nice on. Yeah, right on.
Bonny Snowdon 53:15
Marriage proposals, I've heard a few of those. I'm like, have you been booked anywhere?
Jean Pritchard 53:22
I'd rather have a cup of cocoa. Thank you.
Bonny Snowdon 53:24
Honestly, honestly, a cup of tea for me. Hey, well, I think on that we've been doing a chatting for nearly an hour.
Jean Pritchard 53:36
I know. It's gone really quick. I've got dog food coming soon for the freezer.
Bonny Snowdon 53:42
They feed raw.
Jean Pritchard 53:44
Yeah. Yeah.
Bonny Snowdon 53:48
Which company do you use?
Jean Pritchard 53:51
Jack Wolf.
Bonny Snowdon 53:52
Jack Wolf. I use Phonies.
Jean Pritchard 53:55
Yeah. Yeah, it's all done in a tub. So, don't have to think about it and then we have Sardine Saturday so they get sardines in with it as well.
Bonny Snowdon 54:04
Sardine Saturday.
Jean Pritchard 54:06
Oh, they love Sardines Saturday and then they have half of me egging them on in.
Bonny Snowdon 54:12
Mine have my last Sunday lunch. Honestly, they're on raw and they get the old bones and everything.
Jean Pritchard 54:21
Yeah. Mine too.
Bonny Snowdon 54:22
Then Sunday we'll have a roast and they get leftover pork or beef or whatever and they have Yorkshire pudding, carrot and turnip, mashed potato.
Jean Pritchard 54:34
So, we'll all be turning up at your house on a Sunday.
Bonny Snowdon 54:38
Then the rest of the night they all go into my studio and there's farting and stinking.
Jean Pritchard 54:42
I started on raw because Ruby developed allergies when she was about six months old. I think you saw all of a sudden we were on Royal Cannon and the vet that had them she was quite interesting. She gave me a turkey and potato diet and I was forever cooking pots and pots of turkey and potatoes and freezing them and then we went, I found the Westie advice group and they suggested raw. So, that's where we went onto that, never looked back.
Bonny Snowdon 55:19
Mine are all on it and I mean they eat a lot of it. One of them has a kilo a day.
Jean Pritchard 55:25
Yeah. Well, I mean, one of them is really big.
Bonny Snowdon 55:29
Well, all three of them are really big. Honestly, they are all.
Jean Pritchard 55:35
It'd be better for it.
Bonny Snowdon 55:37
Oh, I think so.
Jean Pritchard 55:40
Would you feed yourself a Pot Noodle every day?
Bonny Snowdon 55:43
No.
Jean Pritchard 55:44
That's what dog food is, really. I mean, these are animals they were supposed to be fed on proper food, aren't they? The hunters. I mean, yours are like mine. Mine are all lying in here and I can see yours.
Bonny Snowdon 56:04
Rob lounging around, but go outside, they'll be all looking at the lambs in the field licking the lips
Jean Pritchard 56:09
Yeah, I saw that this morning.
Bonny Snowdon 56:14
I don't know. Well, it's been an utter, utter joy chatting to you, Jean.
Jean Pritchard 56:17
Thank you.
Bonny Snowdon 56:18
Oh, no, it's a pleasure and well, I'll get in touch get some more Friday afternoon sorted. I really do want to learn more about it.
Jean Pritchard 56:30
Yeah. Well, it's still waiting up here. You're not going to put a picture of me today on, are you?
Bonny Snowdon 56:36
No. I would really like to take a screengrab and put it on because I think the backdrop but you can send me.
Bonny Snowdon 56:42
I think when [inaudible]
Jean Pritchard 56:42
No.
Jean Pritchard 56:48
You've got about five jumpers on because I'm frozen.
Bonny Snowdon 56:53
No, if you send me or the photo that you'd like to use?
Jean Pritchard 56:57
Yes, I will. I'll have a look at that now. I've just got a few emails come in that I've got to look at
Bonny Snowdon 57:04
Well, I'll let you go and then I'll try and catch you on your chat.
Jean Pritchard 57:09
Yeah. I'll be fronted seven o'clock it is. You'll have to wash my hair. I mean wash from here to here.
Bonny Snowdon 57:23
When I'm doing my Zooms, I'll get all dressed up on the top and no-go zone.
Jean Pritchard 57:29
No, bra.
Bonny Snowdon 57:30
Oh, no. Well, it's been so lovely chatting, Jean. Thank you so much.
Bonny Snowdon 57:38
Thank you, Bonny, nice to see you.
Bonny Snowdon 57:40
You too. Send in lots of lots of love and I will chat soon.
Jean Pritchard 57:43
Yeah, thank you.
Bonny Snowdon 57:44
Okay. Bye
Jean Pritchard 57:48
Bye.
Bonny Snowdon 57:49
I really hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of my It's a Bonny Old Life podcast. If you did, I'd be so grateful to you for emailing me or texting a link to the show, or sharing it on social media with those you know who might like it too. My mission with this podcast is all about sharing mine and my communities experience and hope by telling your fascinating personal stories, championing the other amazing humans in my personal, professional and membership community and to create another channel through which I can support you to realize your coloured pencil and life dreams. If you haven't done so yet, please help me on my mission to spread positivity and joy throughout the coloured pencil world by following me on my socials at Bonny Snowdon Academy or by getting on my list at bonnysnowdonacademy.com, and remember, I truly believe if I can live the life of my dreams doing what I love, then you can too. We just need to keep championing and supporting each other along the way in order to make it happen. Till next time
