Wyn Abbot has won the Made in Lancashire Business Development Award, just months after quitting her job as a senior manager at Lancashire Care NHS Trust in Lancaster to become a self-employed artist.

The award is given to art and craft producers and is the latest chapter in Wyn's impressive success story.

She had a passion for art from an early age and combined some formal training with a healthy dose of imagination and experimentation.
Her life-changing decision came after her work started to gain notoriety in the art community:
She said: "The decision had been creeping up on me for a long time. I started displaying my work at exhibitions and people were showing interest.

"I thought to myself that I was going to have to take the leap then. Since then I've been living the dream really. Everyone has their dream but it always seems so far away."

It wasn't a decision Wyn took lightly:
"It was a big step to take, going from a job with a good salary to not knowing if I'm going to get paid.

"But family, friends, everyone has been behind me. I expected doubters, people thinking of the security. But most people seemed to think 'I wish I could do it'."

Wyn, who is married with three grown-up children, now has a strong customer base for her art and ceramics, including a bee-keeper for who she makes honey pots. She also sells her work through galleries and shops.

She has always had an interest in the mythological and her work reflects this.

"At the moment I'm concentrating on outdoor sculptures based on mythologies and particularly Aztec and Tibetan cultures. Each project I do is a one-off, a little bit different."

The award gives Wyn £1,000 prize money to spend on her
business. She plans to invest it in brochures, business cards and a website to showcase her work to potential buyers.

Made in Lancashire project manager Ella Trickett said: "I was struck by Wyn's determination.

"There's no doubt that Wyn is a very accomplished artist – you can't fail to be inspired by her determination to shape her own future."