F E AT U R E
Sitting pretty - Lucy within the ruins
of Richmond Castle, close to her
gallery in the town.
said he would support me and believed in me from day one.
He has encouraged me and pushed me at times when I felt the
pressure of starting out on my own. He has been there every
step of the way. When you do it for yourself it is 24/7, you put
your heart and soul into it.
“That was back in 2014. The children are 10 now. It has been
quite a journey.”
Her work struck a chord and the past five years have seen the
business grow from a one-woman band in a studio at home to a
real family affair.
As demand grew, Neil joined her and then her brother
Stephen and sister-in-law Felicity swapped their London
home for North Yorkshire to put their skills into the growing
business. There are now two galleries, in Brompton and
Richmond, and a flourishing e-commerce site that is taking
Lucy’s art to national and international markets.
It has been a tough road and she has worked incredibly hard
along the way.
Her art is happy in its nature and the aim is to brighten any
room or space.
“That’s really the nature of it, but that’s not to say there
aren’t a few darker pieces,” says Lucy. “I’m a wear-your-heart-
on-your-sleeve person and that comes out in my art. If there
are darker pieces, they will always have a ray of light in there
somewhere to show there’s always hope and positivity.
“We are very lucky to live where we do. It is a beautiful area
with a plethora of skies, landscapes, flowers and animals. It is a
stunning landscape to work from.”
Her favourite piece is one she created in dad Willie’s name.
He lost his battle with Motor Neurone Disease when Lucy was
in her last year at university, a battle he fought bravely and with
positivity.
He also raised vital awareness of the condition and Lucy’s
piece – entitled The Sheep: Father and Daughter – took up
that mantle. The original was sold to raise funds for the MND
On point – Lucy’s career as an artist has taken off
after she travelled the world teaching English.
Association and made more than £7,000 in 2015, something
she’s very proud of.
“That’s my favourite piece and always has been,” she says.
“I feel very proud I managed to achieve that for the charity.
“It’s funny really. When I mention the Maddren name
people always ask ‘Are you any relation to the footballer?’
And I say, ‘Yes, he’s my dad.’ And then a full blown
conversation about him usually follows, which is lovely.
“Teesside is full of love for my dad and it has left a great
legacy for us as a family.
“When I got married, I took my husband’s surname. My
father-in-law is well known as a butcher in the Darlington
area so when I mentioned my name, I was always asked
whether I was any relation to the butchers and I would
say ‘Yes, I’m his daughter-in-law.’ One day maybe I will be
known for a name of my own!”
That day, surely, is not very far away.
To see more of Lucy’s work, head
to lucypittaway.co.uk
tees-life.co.uk
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