I like being a shopkeeper / artist that sells their work direct to customers and get a chance to chat with them about the work and what I do and why. However, as we are all conscious the pandemic has raised the use of online sales. I have a web based shop but I have …
January, post Christmas and wintery is not a month when as many visitors come to town. The weather often stops people coming into town. So what does that mean for an independent small business owner? For several local businesses that means that at this time of year they close for a month or more. Some …
A dry forecast proves incorrect so rain stopped outside creativity a.m. but some time outside later in p.m. Another new sign with some additional ideas to add to it in the future. Rain forced me inside where I got in with my Watersports series ideas and a SUP design. This afternoon I started what will …
January The Courtyard Studio opened for the first two days of the month but no sales, then we were shut by Lockdown 3. One commission meant some income came in plus another two grants on the premises. February Commissions included original Valentines cards and a valentines picture. Also a commercial illustration piece covered the months …
Today for the second day I had an email purporting to be from a Frenchman interested in my art. Their first email A generic reference to works tweaks some suspicion but it might be real. My reply The enquiry about how they heard about my work trying to strike up a conversation. Their next mail …
The footer below the framed area may have a scene added or Art for Fun – not decided yet. At least while the shop is shut there is a display for viewers to see plus I have a starting point to add colour layers to this Friday ; Saturday if customer numbers still thin on …
Another quiet day at the shop although I saw more friends to chat today. A realisation that this week is not going to be busy so I decided and have publicised that I will be closed on Thursday as I do in a usual week. So I added to both of yesterdays drawings and did …
So as people here on holiday I thought I would open, a terrible forecast meant it wasn’t the best weather although drier for a bit this morning than I expected. Anne came for lunch, a couple of fellow shopkeepers said hi and then a visit from sculptor friend this afternoon. A reorganisation of the shop …
So I thought I would start the day with a pre opening visit to the Artisans on the Beach and I got there about 9.50 and they don’t open until 10.00. Thanks to Coastal Organics and Hazel Weaves who were about – how events change – oh well, my outfit is from my 2017 hut …
So we had quite a bit of light rain and drizzle today. It meant apart from one point Kate in the afternoon, despite being milder , it wasn’t suitable to sit outside. Two children did some art for fun today, their mum is also an artist who works in pastels and took part in Purbeck …