Finding a sense of personal well-being through painting, creativity and community togetherness are the core beliefs of a new art studio, created by a local artist.

Freelance painter and artist Laura Moon has converted an old builders’ yard and stable building in Gib Lane, Peel, into a vibrant and welcoming art studio and workshop area, which she can use as a base for holding arts courses and regular creative groups, as well as a base for her own personal work.

She opened the studio in the autumn of 2020 and has already hosted many art tutorial groups and creative tours around Peel, taking prospective artists on tours of the winding streets of the city.

The studio is housed in the second floor of an historic old stone building and is full of character and atmosphere.

She hopes the studio space will allow her to expand the range of courses she can offer and also help her grow her own freelance business.

’There are not many places that offer classes in a real working studio,’ said Laura. The closet I can think of in the Isle Gallery in St John’s. ’I think we could do with more working galleries like this, as they help to form groups of people and bring members of the community together.

’I suppose it is quite unusual as to what it offers. We can listen to music while we paint, and we can talk about what topics we can look at as we go along.

’We have a mix of people coming to the monthly courses, with many people returning month after month.

’I do like to offer guidance and a bit of advice on painting, more like gentle teaching, but really it is to let people express themselves and paint what they want. ’I want people to find their own processes and their own way of painting.’

The bumpy start to 2021 meant that Laura has postponed her January programme, but has rescheduled all her classes to February, when she hopes to host ’Into the Wild’ a four-week walk, sketch and painting course, held every Thursday, heading out to beauty spots along the west coast for inspiration, along with ’Painting and Personal Power’, a new series of wellbeing and creativity workshops and a weekly life-drawing class.

Contact Laura via Facebook for more details.