Buckingham Artist Shortlisted in National Competition

An artist from Twyford, Buckingham, has been shortlisted for her entry to a national competition which seeks to reveal how businesses have been faring during the coronavirus crisis.

Teresa Allen entered the PopUp Business School Summer Photo Challenge with a picture of one of her creations: 'A Cherished Moment - lion and cub'.

She said: "I am an artist specialising in safari wildlife. I was made redundant in November after a decade working in Event Management, specialising in high-end, overseas incentive travel events.

"Growing up, creativity and crafting unique handmade items was what I loved to do but, after university, I felt I needed to 'get a real job'.

"After my redundancy, I knew I didn't want another events job, so I decided to focus on what made me happy. With a 17 year absence from making art, it took a lot of courage and confidence-building to remind myself that I have a gift I should utilise.

"The subject matter was a no-brainer because safari is where my heart lights up. For me, art goes one step further than what a photograph can provide - every single mark, every textured detail on the paper is put there by hand with a mixture of skill, patience and love.

"Nature, landscapes and wildlife are an enormously important part of my life and I want to bring the spirit of foreign lands to live on in UK homes. I want to inspire thoughts for future travel - especially in the current pandemic.

"I recently read an extremely interesting article about scientific studies revealing that viewing art decreases stress levels, alleviates symptoms of anxiety and depression and has a positive physical response on the body and brain. Perhaps in the aftermath of COVID-19, my artwork can promote well-being and improve mental state for people, especially those who are missing safari and travel.

"I started my business in the first week of lockdown so it is early days. I've been learning lots about self-development and starting up a business via webinars and online courses. I've also had time to develop my portfolio of artwork whilst sourcing suppliers for getting limited edition prints made. Things have been slower on that front because I've not been allowed to visit companies, so I've had to accept the delay on being able to sell any work."

PopUp Business School, which helps people from all walks of life to launch their own businesses, is asking people across the UK to take a photograph which illustrates their business, or business idea, with the chance to win up to £200.

CEO Simon Paine said: “Business has changed so much in the past few months, we thought it'd be really interesting to get a glimpse into their world.

“We know many businesses have moved their operations online and are interacting and serving customers in a different way.

“However, due to lockdown, this has all been happening behind closed doors. We've seen far less of one another so it's going to be great to take a look inside.”

The competition is open for entries until midnight on August 31. You can find out more and submit your own entry at: https://www.popupbusinessschool.co.uk/photo-challenge.html