I always thought I would get into painting, but I got waylaid by rock 'n' roll. And then I had children, so that was game over for me. Finally, once the girls were out of the house and I was living in a place that had a room I could use as a studio, I thought, "Now's the time." As soon as I was in a situation where I could be alone and paint without any interruptions, I just couldn't stop.
I came from a fairly colourless background; there wasn't much music or art around at home, just a few Fifties-style wire sculptures. My mother was very good with design and colour, although I didn't appreciate it at the time. She loved everything to be modern, while I longed for something old. My father was musical, but neither of them had time for artistic pursuits as they worked full time. Their generation didn't have the opportunities we had. It was all about looking after my brother and me.
When I was a little kid I liked to draw. I drew horses and I loved life drawing. At school, the art room was the place where it felt like I knew what I was doing. I was out of my depth in the more academic subjects and I probably would have gone completely under if not for my grades in art. They just about kept me from flunking out.
Then I went on to study art at Kent State University, but I didn't go to classes and I don't remember doing much painting. I did a few projects, but mainly I was a dropout. I was just biding my time until I could figure out how I could travel and see the world, which I started doing when I was 22.
When I got to England, one of my jobs was modelling for the fashion students at Saint Martin's College in London. They had a big trunk of clothes you could wear, but I just kept on my beaten-up Lewis Leathers gear. This was during the punk era. The great thing was that when I wasn't modelling I could draw the next model. No offence to those fashion students, but I think I was the only person there who could draw, so that was kind of frustrating.
I suppose I could have got into painting sooner – found a barn out in the country somewhere – but the time wasn't right for me. Rock 'n' roll seemed a lot more fun. I like a certain amount of isolation, which you need for painting, but there's a point where you start losing your sanity. But when I was proofreading my autobiography years ago, I noticed that I kept talking about painting, even though I didn't paint. It was like a fantasy I had. Then, when I moved to my current place a couple of years ago and I started painting, it all suddenly made sense. People worry that they've missed the boat, but it really is never too late to start doing something you love.
I thank my lucky stars every day that I can play guitar, be in a rock band, and if I want to paint, I can paint. I don't want anything else. I'm totally satisfied with that.
Adding the Blue, the new book from Chrissie Hynde, is out on 22 November via Genesis Publications
