Member Article

From Lesson Plans to Linocuts: Teacher's Artistic Transformation

Seeking a way out of a stressful job tangled in red tape, I transformed my passion for Lino print into a business to find happiness and take back control of my life.

The Peacock & The Printmaker, my art studio, creates timeless colourful limited edition prints designed to bring joy to your home for years to come. The business started as a hobby to relieve stress from the day job and find ‘me time’ shortly after having a child and losing all sense of what made me feel good about me.

I would put my daughter down for a nap, grab the baby monitor and get printing. I may have had half an hour or as long as two hours but every minute was time to tap into what made me feel good.

When I returned to teaching after maternity leave, I realised how difficult it was to put in boundaries with my employers. Teachers are expected to put their job before their family or personal life and take work home. The myth that they just work 9 til 3 could not be further from the truth. Most teachers do 7am to 5pm and still work home during the evenings, weekends and holidays. The stressed out mess that this created was not what I wanted her daughter to see as normal.

I grew the business alongside teaching part time, until I gained the confidence to make the big step in September 2022 and go full time as an artist. I applied many of the leadership and organisational skills I used when leading subjects and departments in large academies to create robust business systems and keep track of finances, stock and projects.

I sell my beautiful limited edition prints at thepeacockandtheprintmaker.com (all created from scratch by me), in galleries and shops of the North East (such as North East Art Collective, Gallery 45 and Penny Pieces) and at local markets.

More and more people are working from home so it’s more important than ever to create spaces that can help you switch off from the daily grind and take you to a place of comfort and happy thoughts. Integrating art into your decor brings personality, nostalgia and the opportunity to day dream. I’m a great believer in art being a mood enhancer and the coast being a place to calm the soul so combining the two elements brings great joy to my customers.

‘Love Heather’s artwork her dedication and passion shines through in every piece of art.’ Lorraine McGill, Willow and Maine Interior Design

With all of my Google feedback showing 5 star reviews, my personal customer service adds that special touch to your purchase. I also run printmaking workshops so that you can learn to create your own masterpieces (choose from one to ones in my studio, at home groups sessions and workshops at local venues).

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Heather Moore .