Welcome to my website and I hope you find it interesting, informative and inspirational.

My name is Edwin Williams, and I am a fully qualified Engineer, Quality Assurance Specialist and also hold a degree in Human Resource Management, specialising in Learning and Development.

My Interest in Art

Outside of work I have many interests such as photography, filmmaking, deltiology, restoring old photographs, gardening, walking, social history and charitable work but it is art and in particular watercolour painting, that gives me most satisfaction.

Over the last thirty-five years I feel privileged to have taught many people the delight of watercolour, often combining the teaching with the raising of money for several charitable causes that are close to my heart.

I always look to encourage my students to enjoy painting what they see, in a manner that they are comfortable with. I really believe that painting in watercolour inspires people to see both themselves and the world in a refreshingly new way, and I will endeavour to influence this wonderful feeling to all the students I meet.

I am passionate about painting and, whilst I agrees that it helps to reduce the stress that we face in our lives, I would prefer it to be considered as a radically different strand of our being, a way in which we can exercise different personal faculties and thereby become more able to express ourselves and perhaps, become more complete human beings.

At all times, my Watercolour Workshop sessions encourage individual participation, utilising exercises to develop confidence and capability through experiential learning. I encourage my students to exhibit their finished work in a small exhibition that is not about competing with each other. I believe that this approach seeks to further develop the personal skills and confidence of each person, whilst also encouraging them to share their enjoyment, learning and experience with the other students and people.

In recent years I have been asked to deliver creativity workshops to business groups and teams of people, using Watercolour as the central theme. These have been extremely popular and I am proud of the feedback I receive. Perhaps you know a business or group that would be interested – I would love to help or advise.

My Interest in Photography and the Restoration of old Photographs and Postcards

My interest in photography stems from my dad, who was a keen amateur photographer. He developed his pictures in a dark room which was situated in my bedroom. He often coloured black and white prints with inks.

These days I enjoy restoring and occasionally colourising old photographs and postcards. but I use a computer instead of inks. It is a time-consuming process and each piece of work will typically take me up to seven hours to complete, but during this investment in time and research, I am transported back to the period. I suppose this is where I am rather like the brilliant artist Charles Spencelayh, as I am passionate about the details being factually correct, because future generations will consider my work as a true record of a particular period in time.

If you have an old or interesting photograph that requires a little love, care and restoration (and perhaps some colour) please get in touch and lets see what we can achieve.

My interest in Deltiology

People often ask me what the term Deltiology or Deltiologist means and the Collins Dictionary definition is:

• ‘The collection and study of postcards, usually as a hobby’

My mum was a collector of postcards, photographs and books and her collection was passed down to me. These items show and describe the historical development of people and places. I have continued this with my own collection and have combined this with my interest in family and social history. I have a particularly strong interest in the social history of Preston, The Wakes Resorts of Lancashire, the Lake District and the Isle of Man. However I have many postcards, photographs and books from further afield and these stimulate my interest in travel and my links to art and photography.

My interests in Filmmaking, Lecturing and Audio Visual Presentations

Since I acquired my first cine camera in the late 1960’s I have thoroughly enjoyed capturing the moving image and painstakingly editing the reels of 8mm film into ‘blockbuster movies’.

• “Not quite” I hear you say, but I am proud to say that some of my films have become a national treasure, such as my thirty five minute film of Preston’s 1979 Octocentenary Celebrations which include the restoration of the Obelisk and its subsequent unveiling by her Majesty the Queen. Equally one of my films called ‘The Years Between’ won the NorthWest Film of the Year for its use of sound and visuals.

I showed these films across Lancashire at local societies and donated the proceeds to various charities.

• Today I still deliver presentations and lectures on a wide range of subjects – perhaps this may be of interest to a group you are associated with.

‘My dream is to help others achieve their dreams’