Biography
I first met Sunday Collins in a bar in Soho London. She was 17 years old and unbelievably cute.
She had just transferred from Portsmouth to London to work with UN/USA /UK Naval teams ( she was in the British Navy working on Radar warfare mainly aircraft carrier landing simulations ).
She had volunteered for the Navy aged 15 to escape an abusive home. Didn’t tell me about that for 50 years. we fell in and out and in love married in 1969 moved to Cornwall had many adventures ended up in California living in Carmel Valley with her children grandchildren horses dogs animals of all kinds lost souls folks in transition children in need. She had a time and place for everyone regardless of their station in life.
She had attended some art schools but blossomed when we moved to Carmel Valley in 1980. She came from an English working class family. No one understood the value of work more than she did. She managed to pass the work ethic onto her children. Me not so much.
I think her work in pastels is stunning unfortunately she developed severe asthma and couldn’t tolerate the chalk. She switched to oil painting in 2012 never thought of herself as talented always as the student wanting to learn. She had so many pictures in her head she wanted to paint. Her oils are masterful . I loved to watch her start a portrait. She started from the eyes and you would see the likeness in a couple of brushstrokes. She loved to paint musicians, artists, chefs folks with passion in their soul.
I’m so lucky to have spent 53 years with her love. I’m hoping her work will survive for longer.