Express & Star

‘I am stronger for what I’ve gone through," says renowned Staffordshire artist following brain tumour

When renowned artist Dorothea Buxton-Hyde was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour she feared she would never paint again.

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Dorothea says she gets the inspiration for her work from what is around her

Doctors gave her just eight weeks to live but she defied the odds and surgery to remove most of the growth under her brain proved successful.

But the gruelling treatment left the painter, whose vibrant work is held in collections around the world, too weak to return to her easel.

"I was very ill and I didn't have the strength to paint. I had to build up my strength again and also learn to walk again as it had affected my walking.

"My illness had taken a lot from me but I was determined to do everything again. I'm so thankful to the NHS that I'm still here to enjoy life," says Dorothea, who lives in Norton Canes.

After her strength returned, the mother of three, who continues to have regular check-ups and scans, was recently able to return to her first love of painting.

"It's been 11 years since I was ill and it has taken a long time but I was determined to paint again and my friends and family have supported me. When my friends heard I was painting again, they were so pleased.

"I think I'm stronger now from what I've gone through," says Dorothea.

Now, with the support of her husband, Philip, she is working towards holding her first exhibition for many years in the latter part of 2019.

"I'm not saying too much about it yet but I am working on some new work," says Dorothea.

Her illness was the second setback in her art career as she was left heartbroken after more than a dozen of her paintings were stolen during a break-in at her gallery in Bournemouth.

The burglary happened around 25 years ago but she says it had a lasting impact and she still thinks about it today.

"It really hurt. I lost 13 or 14 original paintings, and some smaller pieces, and my husband and I ended up losing everything because of this. I often wonder what happened to my artwork.

"The police thought a lot of my work ended up on the continent. I couldn't paint for three years after the robbery. We came back stronger but I often think about what happened," says Dorothea.

Painting has been a way of life for the artist, who specialises in wildlife, landscapes and portraits, since she was very young.

Dorothea, who is now in her 70s, first picked up a paint brush when she was just four years old.

"My mother gave me a box of paints and some brushes. From that day onward, I knew that I would paint until the day I can no longer hold a brush.

"I was very inquisitive when I was young and interested in colour. I didn't want to do anything else but paint," she says.

In 1958, the mother of three, who was born in the Potteries, began working as a porcelain painter for Spode in Stoke-on-Trent.

She became a professional artist in 1978 and held exhibitions in Criccieth, Porthmadoc and Beddegellert while living in north Wales.

Dorothea, who paints in oil, watercolour, acrylic and pastels and recently began used in liquid gold and silver, was elected a member of The Fine Art Trade Guild in 1983, after holding a successful at its London gallery.

With the help of her husband, she launched her own publishing company in 1989 and distributes to galleries across Great Britain, Europe, South Africa, Australia and Canada.

Her wildlife subjects range from tigers and leopards through to badgers, deer and kingfishers.

Picking up her paintbrush fills Dorothea with excitement about what she's going to create on her paper or canvas.

"I get my inspiration from life, what's around me and what takes my eye. It get a feeling when I look at something and know I want to paint it. Sometimes I think things are challenging me to paint them and I like a challenge.

"I love everything about painting. When I pick up a paintbrush, I know it's going to help me create something wonderful. I'm always excited – like a child at Christmas," she says.