Helloo! I’m Fleur Boyle, skipping into midlife with jollity and gay abandon! Having suppressed my creative urges for decades due to work, caring duties and crippling self doubt, I have finally scratched that nagging creative itch! My home is in Dorset, England with a collection of beasties, both human, animal and plant. I love to paint unabashedly sentimental, whimsical and colourful paintings as well as mystical and magical black ink drawings. You can buy originals, prints and order a commission at very reasonable prices in my ETSY shop. Amazon sells my illustrated children books written by Gaynor Greber.
I didn’t speak until I was three years old (haha, made up for it since). Instead, I made marks’, a fancy pants term used by artists, which in my case meant ‘murals’ (or muriels as I called them) on my bedroom walls or proudly tattooed onto my body with the limited pallet Biro could offer (it helped me escape the tedium of Brownies). Also on my charge sheet is my obsessive dog disorder ODD, described as an intense need to stroke and talk to dogs (or anything furry and feathery for that matter). Throughout my childhood and adolescence I was often away from home and subsequent comforts due to my musical career. I went on tours abroad and all the photos of me were inevitably with my arms around some random dog. I can even recall their names!
My mental health has always challenged me, suffering from Dermatillomania since early childhood and debilitating Dysmenorrhea. At 52, I was diagnosed with ADHD. The neurotastic road less travelled has oscillated between grief, bewilderment and fascination. This diagnosis have illuminated so much about my somatic response to animals. It is no wonder I am literally drawn to them and love them as my creative muse. They give a subconscious as well as a visceral healing power. Interestingly, the neurochemical response to art releases chemicals and actually changes brainwave activity! It increases blood flow to the frontal regions of the brain, giving a positive resilience to our psychological response. ADHD also affects the structure and function of the prefrontal cortex. Unknown to me until recently, I have been unconsciously self soothing through painting; the biological effect of colour vibrations and corporeal effect of animals as my favourite themes have been almost soporific to my busy mind! This is very encouraging as I am discovering for myself the healing power of art and as a form of meditation.
In a beautiful circle of synchronicity, I am giving myself a self fulfilling purpose after decades of mental illness and monotonous ennui from my undiagnosed condition and mind numbing medication for depression and anxiety. Unconscious soothing and comfort from painting animals using beautiful vibrant colours is such good medicine! My one purpose and wish with my art is that it releases a warm burst of joy into someone else’s life, passing on love from one human to another, one painting at a time…