05/08/2026
Little introductory post: Hi, I'm Arrienne! I mainly go by Arri to my friends/social media as it's easier than explaining to people they're not pronouncing my name correctly π
I've been creating art for as long as I can remember. But it's not always what I wanted to do. For the majority of my childhood, I wanted to become a music teacher. I played violin, saxophone and a little piano. Once I started my GCSEs, I realised that art is what I wanted to pursue. I went straight to college after my GCSEs and then moved to South Wales to complete my BA (Hons) in Creative and Therapeutic Art.
Once I graduated from uni, I decided to take a step back from creating art. I was exhausted, mentally, and physically, and felt like I was done being that person. When COVID hit, I experimented with resin art, jewellery and home decor. I enjoyed it for a while but ultimately, it wasn't right for me. I didn't have the time or energy anymore and once again, took a step back from creating.
It wasn't until February 2026 that I decided to frame some of my old artwork from school and college, and the urge to create reappeared like an old friend. I started to draw again, realism, and then decided to try my hand at painting. I was never great at painting in the past and I always hated it, so I had to re-teach myself how everything worked, and this time, I was enjoying the process.
In June 2026 I decided to paint my partner's childhood dog, Gwen, not expecting it to be good, just practice. She came out so beautifully, that I haven't wanted to stop painting dogs. Every dog painting I have done since are so different and unique, their personalities shining through each portrait.
I didn't realise right away that all this time away from creating wasn't just "I've lost it, I'm not good enough", it was simply: art block. 7 years of art block.
But I feel like I'm back, and I don't think it's going away anytime soon. I have so many ideas and plans and I'm so excited to see how I progress π
