Struggles And Successes

by Laura Hammond

As an artist, we are often faced with a lot of rejections: “thanks, but no thanks” or “maybe next time.”

My journey as an artist, like so many of us, started when I was little. When I reached secondary school, I studied both GCSE and GNVQ art simultaneously. However, I was still told by my teacher at the time that I was not as good an artist as my fellow classmates. I would push harder with my work, believing that I was at fault! I got top grades.

Kingfisher, 600x400mm. This kingfisher was photographed in Budleigh, Devon. Such wonderful colouring — it had to become an artwork. This original sold in my first art trail.

Moving into 6th form, I was still told the same thing. I was studying an Advanced GNVQ, which I was told was the equivalent of the foundation course at university, so I would not need to complete the foundation year when I reached that stage.

I would strive to push myself harder and harder, and although my work was celebrated by the school, my teacher still continued to tell me my work was not as good as the other people in my class. Repeatedly being told you are not good enough and you will never be as good an artist as my classmates was really hard. I left 6th form with top grades… My next hurdle was universities!

“It takes courage and resilience
to be an artist.”

I got invited to interview at every university I applied for (I think it was about 5 at the time). I worked my socks off to prepare my portfolio and was proud of my body of work. But… uni after uni said, “Sorry, you’re not good enough. You need to complete the foundation year; in fact, you may need to do 2 years to bring your work up.” I was crushed! Again, being told my work was not good enough. I genuinely started believing it. I started to lose faith in my work and, worse still, my abilities as an artist.

So… feeling low on confidence and dejected, I persevered and applied at the local college that had just started offering an HND in fine art and then said they would offer successful candidates the opportunity to stay on and complete the full degree. This was not a great place to study: lessons in corridors and no-show lecturers. I knew I wasn’t going to get anywhere with them. So I gave up and left. I felt a deep passion and motivation for art, but I didn’t have a clear path to follow, so I created solely for my own enjoyment.

Fast forward a bit, and when my children were small, my artwork dwindled to occasional pieces because art is in my blood, and not creating was to deny myself. Life moved on, and my children have grown. Now, with my ever-supportive husband, family, and friends, I have re-prioritized my artwork, and my art is flourishing!


Junior, 600x400mm. This grey seal pup was taking his first swim, and we were lucky enough to witness it. Created using my photo reference, it had to become an artwork.

With my creativity flowing again, I took on a couple of commissions, and client responses did a lot to help boost my confidence.

I eventually found the courage to try for a local art trail, and to my amazement, my work was very well received, and I sold one of the pieces. There is something very humbling when someone chooses to pay for your artwork like that… no hidden agendas or anything, just genuine love for your work. Not only did this person purchase my work, they went to great lengths to track down my artwork that they simply had to have. Having seen my work on the last days of the trail, when they returned, my work had been taken down, so they had to do some hunting to find me. But find me they did, and they purchased the work they had fallen in love with.

From then onwards, my work has grown. I secured a commission from a local pub, and I also made my first international sale. With my belief in my work growing, I pushed the boundaries more and started submitting for exhibitions! They say that for every 10 entries you do, you will only get 1 positive back. I’m not sure if that is true, as I have had many, many “no thank yous.” But I started keeping track of the positives… all those successes, so that when I get those self-doubting thoughts creeping back in, I can look at the ever-growing list of positives. It helped me remember not to focus on the negatives.

This photo was taken during a photo shoot with my works when taking part in my latest art trail.

When my work got selected for a large local gallery, I was absolutely blown away! This was my work… the same person who had been told that my work was not good enough!!! I just couldn’t believe it!!! The voices of “you’re not good enough” were a distant memory; I was going from strength to strength.

I am an award-winning artist who has had international sales, been published, had multiple exhibitions, multiple sales, multiple commissions, and has recently become a proud member of the Association of Animal Artists.

Working in a secondary school myself, I support students with the beginning of their own artistic journeys. I have many plans for this year: many artworks waiting to be created, many more exhibitions in the pipeline, charity auctions, and much, much more coming up this year.

I have learnt not to always listen to those who think they know you as an artist and to believe in yourself and have faith in your art. It takes courage and resilience to be an artist.

I put so much of myself into each and every art piece I create, and it can really knock you back when you get constant negativity about your work. But… believe in yourself and who you are, and keep creating in whatever form that takes.

Laura Hammond

Laura, an artist from Southend-on-Sea, has developed her skills through self-teaching. Primarily working with colored pencils, she values the medium’s simplicity and gentleness. Her artwork often celebrates her deep love for animals, particularly wildlife. Intuitive in her creative process, Laura’s choices reflect her passion. As an award-winning artist, she has gained recognition through publications and has showcased her work in various exhibitions and commissions.

Facebook: LoveArt – by Laura Hammond