Family: Jemima Canegrati flies family nest with bird paintings

Jan 6 2010 By Hilarie Stelfox

ARTIST Jemima Canegrati is one of eight children and says that growing up in a large family helped her to become a strong individual. She began drawing as a child and still has scores of comic books that she produced as an outlet for her imagination. Her most recent work is currently being shown in an exhibition in Huddersfield. She talked to Hilarie Stelfox

JEMIMA CANEGRATI comes from a large, creative family.

Her mother taught her to sew and make her own clothes, her father was an artist and craftsman, one sister is a florist and card designer, another is a make-up artist and dance choreographer.

It was clear from an early age that Jemima had an artistic streak. While her sisters played with their dolls, she busied herself making comic books.

"In my early childhood we were always encouraged to use our imagination – mine perhaps a bit too much!’’ she said.

"I was number five out of eight siblings so there was plenty of imagination bouncing through our household. I’ve spoken to a lot of people who have come from large families and I’d say that just because you have lots of brothers and sisters doesn’t mean you are always best of friends.

"You become strong individuals because you have to find your own character in order to be heard and seen.’’

The family comprised three boys and five girls, although one brother died when he was young.

Jemima, now 24 and living in Huddersfield, began drawing after creating her own Barbie doll with a piece of paper and an old cereal box.

"My sister wouldn’t let me use her Barbie doll but showed me that I could draw the perfect doll, colour it in and stick it to the cereal box for added weight. After that I realised I could create a whole world,’’ she explained.

"I used to draw on graph paper taken from my father who was studying to be a health and safety inspector on building sites.’’

The creation of comic books continued until she was 18 and today she still has a large collection.