Windy van Druten

Windy is an artist and educator with a background in Traditional Animation. She studied at the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts in Canada, earning diplomas in both Classical and 3D Animation, before completing her BA in Animation at the University of Westminster. Her focus has always been on mastering the fundamentals, such as life drawing, sketching, and sculpting, to build a strong foundation for creative expression.

Since joining The Conservatoire and local schools in Blackheath, Windy has taught art classes for children of all ages. She believes art is about the joy of creating and the process rather than just the end result. Her classes focus on kindness, understanding, and encouragement, blending storytelling, imagination, practical skills, and cultural arts such as Indonesian batik.

Windy also champions the importance of hand skills in a world increasingly reliant on technology. From drawing to gardening to fixing our own bikes, she believes making and mending things with our hands fosters resourcefulness, creativity, confidence, and independence, skills that might come in handy in any situation.

Alongside teaching, Windy works as a Stage Manager for the Learning and Participation Team at the Royal Ballet & Opera House, where creativity and collaboration come together on a grand scale. A keen long-distance cyclist and nature lover, she often sketches what she sees on her rides and brings flowers, leaves, and other natural cuttings into class for students to study. When she isn’t teaching or cycling, Windy enjoys playing the ukulele, adding a little extra music and fun to life.