April has been a good start back to working.

Ok, there are still two business days to the end of the month but I did my final April shift today. It has been a very successful start back to being in the shop and continuing to be creative.

Some successes for the last 17 days:

– reopened the shop with my new decorated spaces with my logo colour scheme and vinyls publicising my business. New display shelving that allows easier changing of displayed pieces. A table area that allows an area to share newest pieces

– work with local charities / initiatives continue. I spoke with the lady from Swanage RNLI this week about how I would like the original drawing of ‘Rescue’ to be used to raise funds. I will soon have another payment to pass on to them for further print and card sales.

– Today I have taken on sunflower seed display for the Lewis Manning Hospice appeal.

– Also I have initiated the ‘Swanage and Purbeck’ branch of Dog Friendly.Social. As of this evening we have 24 businesses in Swanage and Corfe Castle with stickers (or will have by end of April). I have just ordered the next batch of 20 stickers.

– Initial discussions have started with a number of the other Commercial Road area businesses about working together to promote the area.

– I have completed 17 commissions since mid-January and this year’s lockdown, today I received my 18th

– I continue to work and produce pieces of art on a frequent basis, in a variety of formats:

New colouring-in postcards coming in May in collaboration with ‘Martin’s Purbeck Memories’ based in the Daisy May arcade behind the shop. We also have some other pieces we were trialling before lockdown to launch too this year.

Original art postcards continue to be added and several new ones have sold and gone already

Hand drawn wooden boxes I have added to these with two small examples this week but am currently working on a ‘Pip Hare Vendee Globe’ inspired box and a Sealife box too.

Hats I have now added a sealife hat to the Jungle hat I drew at the end of 2020 as examples of my hand drawn hats. I will be adding a record of hats produced to date to serve as examples for more commissions.

Original work – I have my sights set on a picture of the ‘first of the leaves’ Spring tree as a follow up to ‘Last of the Leaves’ which is already proving a popular piece in card and print form and the original sold already too.

Clothing – adding to my boiler suits and vintage workwear coat.

Conclusion

It has been a very successful and creative return to being in the shop. I have smashed my previous April sales records and my April / May combination results even with PAW 2018 taken into account – I am very encouraged.

Thank you to my return visitors already, the longer I am established the more I enjoy the experience of returning customers to see how my work has developed. Also welcoming visitors into the shop and sharing the contrasting styles of the two artists and how we put our work across. I look forward to what May can bring us.

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