MANDY THODY         . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .         Ceramicist & Painter

About Mandy Thody | Art Work

Mandy Thody was born in Bedfordshire, England. Her father is a painter, architect and builder and her mother has concentrated on textiles, clothing design and decor.

Mandy's life in South Africa as a child, 1975—1984, is evident as a strong influence in her watercolors in terms of subject matter and her use of mainly earth tones. As a teenager Mandy learned batik, weaving, and dressmaking, and assisted herself through university by designing clothes, shop windows etc., and by teaching sewing, handcrafts and adult literacy in the notorious Crossroads township/squatters camp near Capetown.

In 1985 Mandy left South Africa because of increasing political involvement, and accidentally became a long-term cruising sailor when she met her husband en route to England, (which they only reached four years later)

At that time she began to paint and draw, particularly on silk. Their life on the water was the main influence, with primarily blue to turquoise backgrounds and depictions of marine and bird life, as well as the occasional mermaid. During the nineties, spent mostly in England where their daughter was born, Mandy gradually began to draw more. Ten years ago she took up watercolours.

As a reflection of the tropical environment Mandy's paintings have increased in size and brightness immensely since returning to the Caribbean on their new boat "Ushuaia". Many are of West Indians in a portrait-like style, as well as local flora and fauna. In the period 2000-2001, spent in the southern Caribbean, she exhibited work in Grenada and Carriacou, Bequia, and Antigua. Since December 2001 she has been living with her husband and two teenage children aboard the Ushuaia in St. John, VI.

As a member of the Artist's Association of St John Mandy enjoys the varied and supportive artistic community here. Her painting "Leather-hat Rasta" won the watercolour prize at the 2002 Caribbean Colors Exhibition, and "Bright Robe", one of her first pastels, won a drawing media prize in their 2003 show.

During 2003 Mandy began to teach a small ceramics class, making clay whistles, known as 'ocarinas', at Maho Bay Camps. The availability of the studio there, and the assistance and encouragement of the ceramicist, Gail Van de Bogurt, and other friends, enabled her to expand into ceramics as her primary medium, and to produce collectible dolls and subsequently an ever-expanding repertoire of sculpural pieces - including animals, busts, platters, tiles and large reliefs.

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