By Gillian Ellison

Last updated 15:54, Wednesday, 26 March 2008

A WOMAN who gave up her job at the age of 45 to become an art student is displaying her work in Whitehaven’s Rum Story window.

INSPIRED BY RUM STORY: Janet Baker pictured with her exhibition

Janet Baker, who grew up in Mirehouse and went to Overend and Whitehaven Grammar School, is now doing a BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at the University of Cumbria.

Now living in Workington, she gave up her job in Haigh’s butchers to pursue her interest in art.

“I absolutely love it,” she said.

“I did GCSE art last year and was told why don’t I take it further, so I did.”

Janet says she was a housewife for many years, looking after her children, before working as a care assistant and then in the butchers.

She has been involved in a project at the Rum Story for the past few weeks entitled Mind The Gap. It focuses on the slave trade and the fact that it still goes on nowadays, she said.

She has been using some of the images at the Rum Story as inspiration for her work, which will form part of her degree course.

“Some of the work is done in print and some in textiles,” said Janet. Her work will be on display over the next few weeks.