1. My name is Elly Wright. Many moons ago I was
a medical liaison officer in the NHS and then an allocations manager for a
large housing trust in London. I started
studying art (drawing, painting and printing) at the City Literary Institute in
London and gained a BA Hons from Chelsea College, London. Since 1993 I have been
a full time painter, practising both in France and UK.
2. Since the death of my lovely husband Michael
in early 2012 I have no other family members here on a permanent basis. However
my son loves to visit and my sister and family from the Netherlands also enjoy
spending time here on a yearly basis.
3. Michael and I bought our house in the
countryside near Najac in 1990 and have spent many happy years here. I am now
getting used to being here on my own. I do not live here full time. Although in
the past we would come for Christmas and New Year, now it is mostly four months
a year and for the rest I live in UK and make short trips to the Netherlands
and further afield.
4. I am a painter ( www.ellywrightart.com ) and I have a
lovely stable studio attached to the house. I have frequently exhibited my
paintings in France in the Salons of Albi and St. Antonin Noble Val, as well as
in contemporary art spaces and galleries in Auvillar, Prayssac, Caussade,
Caylus, Parisot, Najac, St. Antonin Noble Val
and last but not least in my studio in Les Combes.
5. When I was nine, I started learning French.
In Holland it was deemed a more difficult language than German or English, so I
thought I’d get a head start. I
have integrated with the local community around me both because of being
neighbours but also as friends. In addition I feel part of the artist community
around me. My French art colleagues and I
alert each other to art opportunities and exhibitions and meet at ‘vernissages’, always trying to support each other (and not just because we’ve drunk a bit too much). With my favourite
French neighbours, who live about 15 mins away on foot, we sit and gossip and
put the world to rights. She and her brother are friends but also fantastic
neighbours, sharing local knowledge, recipes, planting advice and often lending
a hand. A good English friend and I have taken to making an outing each year
with our French neighbour. Our first trip was to Toulouse on the train. It took
us a while to get the conductor to understand we were senior and formed little
group, so wanted a discount. Now we know to say that we are ‘Senior-plus’ and the discount will be duly applied! We
visited the Capitol and Le Musée
des Augustins and this year it was Le Chateau de Mauriac near Gaillac. Next
year we hope to go to Chateau du Bosc.
I was invited to a French/English book club,
where we only read French. The group consists of about equal numbers of locals
and incomers. Although daunting at first, it is very educative and fun.
When in France I belong to local yoga- and
walking groups. They too are part French and part English.
6. I like the way I divide my time between France and
UK.
7. You must have gathered that I love visiting
exhibitions and art museums. In addition
I like to walk, read, swim, travel and generally spend time with my friends.
8. Yes I love travel. Michael and I went to Turkey many times (he
loved archeology and has been on digs in Tautavel, Clermont Ferrand, Turkey and
South Africa as well as UK. We also visited India a few times, as well as
Indonesia and Morocco. I hope to pay a visit to Sicily next year.
9. Not being in France continuously, I have no
pets. If I did live in Les Combes all the time it would be a cat and chickens.
10. A decent phone line with good internet.
28October 2014
