A Woodside Park woman who gave up her career as a lawyer to run art classes for children is celebrating her first successful year.

Barbara Kay, 42, who lives in Westbury Road, set up the group KidsArt in May last year.

At KidsArt children aged between five and 13 learn drawing, painting and pottery and gain a grounding in art history.

Mrs Kay, who has six children aged between 18 and six, left her job at City law firm Herbert Smith after the birth of her fifth child.

She said: "Combining my career as a lawyer and my family life was hard.

“Running the art classes gives me everything. I have a job I love, I can co-ordinate my work hours around my family and my children can participate."

Mrs Kay runs three weekly after-school classes for ten to 12 children and organises trips to art galleries and parks during school holidays.

She said: "I’m not just teaching children how to draw; I’m showing them how to interpret a painting and describe the effects of the different techniques the artist used.”

Mrs Kay has already seen great progress among her pupils, especially the younger ones.

She said: "Even with the five-year-olds their ability to concentrate on a single project increases after a few months. They become more confident in what they draw.

She added she was worried pressure to boost Maths and English grades in secondary schools meant they were cutting art lessons.

She said: "Children say to me. ‘This is fantastic, we never get this in school.’

"Art can make children cleverer. They get a huge boost from completing something. They learn how to work together, develop self-esteem and confidence, improve co-ordination and problem solving abilities."

North Finchley resident Beverlie said her daughter Amelia, 11, had benefited greatly from the art classes.

She said: "Amelia has been attending the classes since last summer. She is so enthusiastic about them, she tells her friends they should go, which tells me everything I need to know about how happy she is.

"The classes have increased her ability to focus and given her a creative outlet, which helps her with dry school subjects like Maths and Science. The classes enable her to work with children of different ages, which is really beneficial."

To find out more about KidsArt's half term and summer programmes visit www.facebook.com/kidsartwoodsidepark or call 07827 275821 or e-mail barbaraandmartin@talktalk.net