-
I moved to France and became a mountain guide
What inspired one British woman to settle in the Alps change careers
-
'How I moved from the US to France alone aged 70'
Janice Deerwester, 72, explains why she moved from France from Georgia in 2022 and how she is inspiring others through YouTube videos
-
Wife’s struggle to join Brexit-card husband in France
She has only just received an acknowledgement slip for her application despite applying towards the beginning of the year
Career change: Africa safari guide to recycled art in France
We talk to Josie Easton about how wildlife still influences her ‘trash-to-treasure’ artwork in Limousin
I have always been passionate about nature and wildlife and grew up watching David Attenborough documentaries.
At 16, when I left school, I decided to take a course in art, design and technology.
A passion for photography was ignited and I spent a lot of time in local woodland photographing wildlife.
Once I graduated, in 2005, I decided to go travelling. I had always wanted to visit Africa, and was lucky enough to have a small inheritance to help make this a reality.
During my research, I stumbled across a course to become a professional safari guide in South Africa. The idea of living and working there seemed like a dream.
There were 18 modules on different aspects of African ecology and conservation and I found it would take me three years to qualify.
Nevertheless, I decided to make it happen, taking a job in a call centre for nine months to top up my funds before embarking on my African adventure in late 2008.
Read more: Career change in France: ‘My passion for pottery now pays the bills’
Then, in 2014, ebola hit Africa
I lived on a shoestring, staying with other guides in safari tents and hostels, and really saw the other side of the industry. The guests paid for five-star treatment; the guides themselves had much more meagre accommodation.
I loved it – it was eye-opening, and I learned a lot about great customer service and making people happy.
After seven years, I even decided to go freelance and create my own packages.
Sadly, in 2014, ebola hit Africa. Although our area was not affected, the tourism industry slumped.
I had also begun to feel a long way from family – I am an only child and seeing my parents just once a year was hard.
In 2016, after eight wonderful years in South Africa, I decided it was time to move back to Stamford, Lincolnshire, where I grew up.
My new business plans were devastated by Covid
Once back, I was not quite sure which direction to take.
Serendipitously, I met a woman at my cousin’s yoga class and got talking.
She worked for New College Stamford (my old college) and told me there was a lecturer role opening – in ecology and conservation.
I applied and spent three happy years sharing my knowledge of nature and conservation with students.
But I have never been one to sit still and gradually got itchy feet again.
What I really wanted to do was take groups of college students out to Africa to see animals in the wild, to learn about the diverse fauna and flora first-hand and earn themselves industry-recognised qualifications in the process.
I set up my own company, Students of Nature Ltd, in August 2017 while still working at the college.
Unfortunately, just as I was building my customer base, Covid hit, travel was cancelled, and I had to refund my bookings. I was devastated and unsure what to do next.
I combined my passion for nature and recycling in Limousin
My parents had moved to Limousin in 2017 to retire and run a small gîte. Not sure what was going to happen in the pandemic, I moved over to be with them – arriving a day before the borders were closed in March 2020.
Like most people, lockdown gave me time to reflect.
I discovered Limousin has an abundance of lakes and forests: nature was on my doorstep!
I began to wonder whether I could combine my passion for recycling and ecology with my love of nature – and came up with a unique idea: creating recycled artworks.
One of the items I seemed to regularly find in décheteries was discarded cutlery. My dad taught me how to weld and I began to experiment.
Now I create everything from delicate painted birds to whimsical wind chimes, all from discarded cutlery. I love giving other people’s ‘rubbish’ a new lease of life.
Read more: How do I register as an artist to sell paintings?
Wildlife inspired mosaics from broken ceramics
In August 2020, I set up my own company, La Petite Maison Creations, and specialise in wildlife-inspired gifts.
I am now a well-known face on local markets and I have many loyal customers, some of whom have become friends.
In January 2022, I took a mosaic course and started recycling broken and chipped ceramics and other found objects.
Wildlife is my inspiration, and I often include sculptural features, such as muscle and feather details, alongside my signature glass mirror roses, placed where the animal’s heart would be, to represent the fragility of nature.
Recently, I have started taking commissions for recycled ceramic pet portraits and next year I hope to run mosaic workshops too.
My days are always full and busy, which suits me to the ground.
Related articles
Career change: ‘French coffee choice was limited so I made my own’
Career change: ‘What I learned at 54 working in a French vineyard’
Career change in France: Amsterdam charity to gîte guru in Dordogne