Nurse’s dream come true after artwork debut in kids’ book

Gail Varley (57) of Mexborough has been interested in art from her childhood, where she studied it at A Level and was constantly sketching.

However, her hobby began to truly flourish after she retired at 55 when Covid hit.

To keep busy, Gail joined an art group at Mexborough’s Woodhouse Gallery.

She said: “I found my passion. I love doing it.”

It was through this group that friends of friends ended up putting her in contact with author Craig Burke, who was preparing to release his latest childrens book — The Clumsy Dog Walker and her Adventures — at the time.

“When I saw it, everything was just black and white illustration,” Gail recalled.

“We then brought colour to it — I wanted to make kids interested.

“We’ve got nice white pages, so if the children want to do their own drawings of the dog, then they can put it in themselves.”

Gail said: “This is a lovely little job, it feels wonderful.

“It’s not about the money, it’s just about being able to share my passions with people.”

Gail’s desire to share her art she cares has also seen it put on display at Mexborough Business Centre on College Road.

“It’s nice to let community people display their artwork,” she added.

“Especially with Covid, people have been feeling lonely, and have lost a bit of their confidence.

“Maybe my work might inspire others to get that confidence to move on with their projects.”

The Clumsy Dog Walker and her Adventures is now available on Amazon.