” Pat on school teachers “They said we were too stupid to learn, and when we proved them wrong they didn’t like that either, so they gave us a hard time. It was a long time ago. “
Owen interviews Pat Hutchins
Owen asks Pat about learning traditional Gypsy flower painting, and her experiences at school.
List of Questions
When did you start doing art, and why did you do flowers?
I’ve always done art, my parents starting teaching me when I was 3, before I started school. I do flowers because I was taught our traditional art, and I paint what I was taught.
28 sec At what age did you leave school?
At 16, then I went to college for 2 years, then I went to university for 3 years.
46 sec What school strict?
It was for Gypsy children, because they didn’t want us there. They thought we were too stupid to learn, and when we proved them wrong they didn’t like that either, so they gave us a hard time. It was a long time ago.
1 min, 5 sec Do you have any happy memories in school?
Not until I was 15 when I got a new English teacher. He realised that I wasn’t the same as the other children, I didn’t have the same background, and he bought me in books of his own which he lent me and they were about things I could relate to. He changed my life. If it hadn’t been for him I wouldn’t have gone on to college and I certainly wouldn’t have gone on to university.
1 min 42 sec Did you wear school uniform?
Sort of, I did wear school uniform, but because I wasn’t allowed to show my ankles I had to wear trousers under my school skirt.
1 min 58 sec Where did you get the box that you painted flowers on?
The Works