Getting creative at Woodcote
Tenant Nick Horne runs a popular weekly art group at Woodcote sheltered housing scheme.
Nick, who was born in Norfolk, has lived at Woodcote for nearly 3 years. Before that he was a specialist art youth worker for the local council. “It was mainly working with youngsters who had been excluded from school,” says Nick. “They loved it! Some of them just needed someone to take an interest in them.”
His own interest in art started young. Nick had an uncle who was a graphic artist and he was always drawing as a child. Although Nick joined Lloyd’s bank after leaving school, he soon realised it was not for him and he applied to study at Norwich Art School.
Nick has continued to paint and draw throughout his life, and has achieved notable successes across different artistic media, from landscape and portrait commissions to fantasy projects (see pictures).
Nick Horne
One of Nick’s paintings of Bob Marley is now in the African & Ethiopian Heritage Museum in the USA. “When I was younger I loved going to reggae concerts at UEA (University of East Anglia in Norwich). I have Black friends and I have always been very anti-racist. As a child I was with my dad in the old Woolworth café in Norwich, when a young Black boy was wrongly accused of causing damage. My Dad stood up for him when the police arrived and insisted he was innocent, because we had seen him sitting there in the cafe the whole time. I have never forgotten that.”
Nick set up the Woodcote art club in May:
“There used to be an arts and crafts group here and so there was a lot of interest. We have 4-12 regulars. Some have drawn before, others haven’t. One chap who recently moved here says the club has really brought him out of his shell. Some people tell you they can’t draw but I say that you learn by doing. I encourage people not to rub out too much or throw it away. The best thing people say about the club is that they find it relaxing.”
The Woodcote art group in action
The art club at Woodcote runs weekly on Thursdays, 2-4pm.
Highland landscape
Smoo Cave, Scotland
Fantasy drawing
Highland cattle
Bob Marley illustration
Wymondham Abbey
Eilean Donan Castle (featured in the movie Highlander)
Fantasy project