With each person that I meet, they always find the time to comment on my obsession with social networking as I’m a proud Twitter addict. I’m forever following new people, posting quirky tweets and re-tweeting pictures of adorable kittens, puppies and even the occasional owl! However, my passion for Twitter continued to grow when I discovered Stephanie Colledge and her gobsmacking talent. I couldn’t help myself; I followed her, re-tweeted many of her pictures and then sent her a polite but yet very cheeky tweet about getting an interview and to my surprise she gave me a big fat YES!

This twenty-six year old woman is an artist – and a great one at that! She was born in South Africa, has two marketing degrees, loves an extra hot Nando’s and is now currently living in the UK with her man. But the good life doesn’t stop there – oh no! Business is BOOMING and her god-given talent of creating caricatures has taken off! And why shouldn’t it? This woman is talented! But we’ll just ignore the fact that she once drank wine from the groom’s shoe at her Friend’s wedding (pinches nose) – EW!

M: Hey Steph! Thanks for answering my very cheeky tweet. So, has art always been a passion for you?
S: Hey! Yes, art has been my passion since I was a small child. I used to be drawing constantly and then my mum took me to art lessons when I was about 12 so I could develop my skill.

M: Do you ever remember the FIRST caricature that you ever drew?
S: The first caricature I ever did was a few years ago actually. Someone in the office where I worked was leaving and I thought it would make a nice leaving gift, so I did one for her and everyone loved it!

M: Do you specialise within alternative forms of art? Such as painting or sketching?
S: I do a fair bit of painting as well. I actually display my work in a few different pubs around Leamington Spa. A lot of them tend to be of dogs. I think dogs are hilarious, so I paint them quite a lot.

M: On that note, let’s LEAD into our next question! Ha! Did you ever study art as a subject?
S: I studied art all the way up to A level grade, and then I continued on to study Fine Arts in uni, but dropped out after a year. They expected us to be far too conceptual. I’m a very literal person. Not everything has to have a deeper meaning!

M: I believe that when you first started out you chose to sell all of your caricatures on E-Bay? Are you still selling them on there?
S: I do still have one listing on e-bay but I think the best place to purchase a caricature is at www.stephssketches.co.uk/order. You can also view a gallery of all my work on my website too.

M: I’ll be heading there on my next pay day! Also, I saw on your Twitter feed that BBC Radio One’s Breakfast host GRIMMY enquired about your drawings and you drew one of him! How did it feel tweeting one of the coolest radio presenters?
S: It’s great when celebrities interact with you on twitter. It’s really exciting. I did one of Una from the Saturdays as well, and she re-tweeted hers which was great. I’ve done a few of the TOWIE cast in the past and they loved theirs.

M: Oh, I love The Saturdays! Have you had any more requests from other celebrities or even the general public?
S: Well I did a caricature of Cheska from Made in Chelsea and her mum loved it so much she ordered two framed prints. In terms of the general public, I get enquiries on a daily basis. Business is booming at the moment.

M: That’s what we like to hear at Yuppee Mag! Did you expect this amount of success when you first started?
S: Not at all. I suppose the more time goes on, the more word gets round! So it will naturally just grow.

M: You’ve earned enough money to finally keep ‘Steph’s Sketches’ as a full-time business. Do you wish to progress with this further in the future?
S: Obviously I will always aim to move forward with the business, but there are only so many drawings I can physically do in a day so that will eventually limit me, but at that point I will find a way to take it to the next level.

M: Nobody appears to be just one thing anymore. For example, I’m a columnist and a radio presenter! What else are you interested in?
S: Well, even though it’s still work orientated, I have another business venture which I’ve just started which is going really well. It’s called Art Uncorked, which is essentially painting parties for adults. It’s not an art class, it’s just a laugh. You come along; all your supplies are already there for you. You are encouraged to drink, paint and have as much fun as possible. I stand at the front and guide you through your painting step-by-step. It’s great!

M: That sounds so exciting! I’m there! Do you have any advice for our readers that might be interested within setting up their own business?
S: If you want to start a business with minimum risk, start small, and start it while you’re still working full time. Once it grows, you can move to full time work and then take your business on full time, and be prepared to work late! It’s not easy in the beginning, but oh so worth it!

M: Do you have any tips for upcoming artists? My Dad always tells me that I’m very artistic but I never know where to start? Do you have any advice?
S: If there’s an Art Uncorked class near you, that’s a great way to start as it’s only a bit of fun. Otherwise, some beginner’s lessons go a really long way. It’s not as scary as it looks, and once you’re shown the proper techniques, you will be surprised at how much your art will improve.
M: I’ll give it a try! Thanks Steph!

If you wish to view or purchase any of Stephanie’s caricatures then you can visit her website, www.stephssketches.co.uk or email her on info@stephsketches.co.uk.  Or if you want to know more about Art Uncorked, the website is www.artuncorked.co.uk. Finally, you can catch Steph on Twitter (where I first found her) @StephsSketches