A WOMAN who was inspired to pursue her lifelong dream after being hit by a cancer diagnosis has opened a quirky new art studio in Rayleigh High Street.

Caroline Corrigan-Parker, 54, is behind the new Studio 3 art studio inside Berries Arcade.

In 2022, Caroline was told she had cancer in her bladder and almost immediately decided to pursue her passion for painting and open an art studio.

As well as being home to Caroline’s art, the studio will be used for other artists to display and sell their work.

Caroline said: “I was diagnosed with cancer and I thought ‘what the hell am I doing, I am working the corporate ladder when all I want to do is paint’, I am lucky as my cancer was caught just in time, the last scare was last year but it was benign.

“It sits in the background, and I am in a different place now.

“The art came into my life, and I can do watercolour but what I am about is acrylic which is not for everyone. Its nice, it makes me laugh and smile, I dance around in the studio.

“What I have done is, in the window, I have displayed art and I have artists pop out of the woodwork and from around the area.

“I am inundated with requests to display work and I have a waiting list of people who want their work in the window so the public can wander in and ask to buy it.

“This is not a shop necessarily, and we will get more artists in, I am letting people come in and chat and people have asked for classes, which I will do at some point if there is interest.”

Caroline added that while the studio is operational, they have not had an official opening yet and will be having a formal one in April.

“I’d love to change people’s ideas of art. It is not for everybody,” Caroline said.