Going on a course can be a fun and informative experience –  but it also has the potential to  have a hugely positive effect on  your life, maybe even change it forever. Tony tells us how he pursued a long-neglected passion for fine art during his retirement….

Name: Tony Berkman
Course: Sculpture, Foundation Course in Fine Art
Institution: The Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute

‘I have always loved art, but until health issues forced me to take early retirement in 2004, I had put all ideas of developing my interest in the subject on the backburner. My 30-year career as a social  worker was a priority in my life, alongside marriage and parenthood. In the late 1970s, I had attempted to attend a regular pottery evening class, but work commitments precluded my attendance.

Time for a change
A few months after taking retirement I underwent the first of two spinal surgery operations and as I began to recover, I realised I felt bored and lost without any sense of purpose. I had always wanted to become an artist and create my own sculptures, so with virtually nothing to do and plenty of time available, I decided to enrol for a short summer sculpture course at The Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute.

This proved to be the start of an unexpected but hugely fulfilling new chapter in my life. I enjoyed the four-day course so much that I immediately enrolled for the one-year course, which entailed a weekly half-day session working with clay and a life model. I also signed up for a drawing and painting class. In both classes I met a variety of interesting people and started to develop my own style and direction. I learned of the Institute’s Foundation Course in Fine Art and after careful consideration decided to apply for what in effect was a full-time course. I was delighted to be accepted and started in September 2006.

Creative process
It was hard work, both physically and emotionally, but I received so much satisfaction in return. All my tutors showed patience and commitment and, as practising artists themselves, understood the ups and downs that students experience. We were a small but cohesive group of students and I found it to be a nurturing environment. My confidence has grown and I now feel able to show my work to anyone who wishes to see it. I have created my own website – www.entenarts.com – and I have had a large outside sculpture on public display in Alexandra Palace Park. I am continuing to develop my skills and knowledge as a sculptor and painter, and feel excited about the future.’