Gillian Allsop
Artist Member (APANZ)
In England I trained as a textile designer specialising in woven design. On graduating I was awarded a scholarship to further enhance my studies. One condition of the scholarship was that I should spend some time in Europe, I spent three months in Italy. I spent a number of years in various textile firms and during that time I met and married a New Zealander who had to return to New Zealand for a minimum of five years. The last textile undertaking before leaving England was to design a series of men’s suiting fabrics for the 1972 Milan Fashion week. I came to New Zealand in the same year and soon realised there was little opportunity to continue my textile career here. I spent the next thirty years employed in any facets of early childhood education. During that time I attended many classes in the arts and crafts. I took early retirement and enrolled in the Learning Connexion where I first met pastels. Dan Wilkinson, a lecturer there, gave a one day Worksop which opened my eyes to the many possibilities of pastel painting. My next workshop was with Julie Greig in 2004 and that painting has hung in the three houses I have lived in since. I joined PANZ in 2008 and spent the next year helping to organise the National exhibition and Convention in Feilding. I exhibited my first Pastel that year. Since then I have continued to enjoy, experiment with and exhibit pastels. When I moved to the Kapiti coast I joined the Kapiti Pastel group and have attended many workshops organised by the group. I was the Pastel portfolio Convenor for three years and on the National committee for three years.
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