From Art to Psychotherapy: Exploring what it means to be human
Exploring what it means to be human
I joined CLC in Year 8, alongside my sister, who was two years above me. We were both day girls and lived in Cheltenham.
I still remember the sense of awe I felt when I first visited CLC. I couldn’t believe that such a magical building could be a school.
I worked hard during my time at CLC and, over the years, managed to spend more and more of my time in the gorgeous glass building of the Art Block. For my A Levels, I chose Art, History of Art and French.
I have never since had such an enriching art education experience as I did during those years.
After CLC, I went to Falmouth University to complete a Foundation Degree in Art and Design, before moving on to the University of Brighton, where I completed my BA in Illustration. During my time at Brighton, I was lucky enough to secure a place on the university’s exchange programme, which meant that in 2016 I was able to spend a semester studying abroad at the Minnesota College of Art and Design.
It was an incredible experience. I was able to choose courses that I would never otherwise have had access to in the UK, including filmmaking and an intensive, studio-based painting course. It was there that I fell in love with painting and figuration. I spent the semester painting myself as a method of self-enquiry.
This project was guided by my tutor, John Gaunt, who took my work seriously and encouraged me to dig deeper into what I was exploring.
I have always been fascinated by psychology, spirituality and philosophy, and these interests have consistently found their way into my artistic practice. In fact, this line of enquiry had already begun during my time at CLC.
For my EPQ, I explored how Frank Auerbach and Lucian Freud were able to go beyond mere physical representation and capture something of the ‘soul’ or ‘essence’ of a person.
Exploring what it means to be human has been the backbone of my artistic practice and went on to form my career as a portrait painter and figurative artist.
While completing my final hand-in for my BA, I was also applying for various open calls and art competitions. One day, while I was working in the studio, I received a call from an Assistant Producer at Storyvault Films.
They told me that I had successfully made it through to the heats of their competition and asked me to arrange my DBS check due to the televised nature of the programme. I said thank you, hung up the phone, and then quickly Googled what exactly I had unexpectedly got myself into.
The competition was Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2019 which was filmed in spring 2018. I was thrilled to win my heat and go on to take part in both the semi-final and then the final of the show. The final took place at the National Portrait Gallery in London, where I painted the actress Laura Linney.
Painting a celebrity sitter in four hours, in front of a live studio audience, while simultaneously being filmed and interviewed for television, was one of the most intense things I have ever done. I was also doing all of this while finishing my university degree.
The show was a fantastic springboard into my career as an artist. The judges were incredibly kind and supportive. One of them, Tai-Shan Schierenberg, was already one of my favourite artists and someone I had first been introduced to and studied at CLC!
After the show, I worked as a full-time artist, living and working in London. I moved between commissioned portraits and self-initiated work.
One highlight was securing a fantastic commission to paint Dorothy Garrod, the first female Oxbridge professor for the University of Cambridge. This brilliant project was sent my way through CLC alumna!
Over the next couple of years, I went on to exhibit in significant museums, galleries and fairs, both in the UK and internationally. My work was also featured in numerous publications and media outlets, including BBC News, Channel 4 and Wallpaper* magazine. It was a very exciting time.
I was fortunate to secure some exciting opportunities, including having one of my paintings used as a book cover published by Pan Macmillan and one published by Penguin. I once again painted live for Sky Arts. This time, my sitter was radio DJ Annie Mac, and I painted her while being livestreamed across the internet for Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Week.
Over these years, I started developing a growing desire to work more directly with people. Working as an artist inevitably means spending a great deal of time alone in the studio.
I began working a few days a week with a mental health charity, offering frontline support to people struggling with mental health and housing issues. I fell in love with the work, and it became the gateway to the next stage of my career.
I continued working in mental health and support services and, in 2023, began a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapy, which will eventually lead to full UKCP accreditation. Over the past three years, I have worked full-time in clinical and support settings alongside my training, including roles within the NHS and the charity sector. I currently work as a Welfare Officer with SSAFA, supporting members of the RAF.
In many ways, this feels like a natural continuation of my artistic practice, which has always stemmed from a fascination with people, psychology and our inner lives.
edwardspritchardk@cheltladiescollege.org
In February 2026, I experienced the most significant landmark of my life to date - my gorgeous son was born. Since his arrival, he has become the focus of my life and my days, and I am embarking on the wonderful quest of learning how to be his mum.
I still paint, and another of my paintings is being used for a book cover that will be coming out soon in Germany. I will be returning to work in November and entering the clinical year of my psychotherapy training in 2027. I have a lot to juggle and navigate, but I feel endlessly grateful that there is still so much for me to learn, achieve and explore.
My journey has not always been straightforward or easy, but I have been incredibly lucky to be able to follow my passions authentically and whole heartedly.
Sara Lavelle
(2007-2013, St Clare)
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