Yesterday Anne and I went to Shell Bay, Studland and watched Pip Hare global solo sailer return to Poole Harbour. I took a number of photos using my longer zoom leans and also some video clips using my phone. This afternoon I have drawn two first draft ideas of pictures to mark this special occasion. …
I have always been honest with people and especially my own children that I don’t know all the answers. This means that I am open to learning new things on a daily basis. This sometimes fell on stoney ground with teenagers I worked with who wanted “learning” to stop as soon as possible. As a …
When I came to art I planned to do my own drawings, the idea that someone would ask me individually to draw something in particular for them seemed unlikely and I wasn’t sure with my damaged mental health I would cope with client demands. Then after my first sale I was commissioned to draw some …
I have spent quite a bit of time this lockdown researching publicity and marketing and now starting to put the ideas into practice. Today I have planned a month’s posts for my Courtyard Studio Instagram / Facebook accounts. So going forwards this is where you might find different sorts of information: The shop – The …
Once when taking part in Artisans on the Beach and talking with a fellow artisan they commented that they didn’t know what to draw. I haven’t had that issue yet, there are always things to draw, the problem often is choosing which one to do next. When I started I listed topics that I would …
Today I read a blog post from another local gallery about people choosing art for their home. I realised I had never really thought that much about how my art fitted into people’s lives, more an assumption that if they bought a piece it was for a particular space. Customers have mentioned about colour scheme …
A constructive morning. I completed the V card with a London theme started yesterday, invoice sent and paid and in the post. Second V card started and done this morning too in addition to help a friend practice their learning skills for a qualification they are studying for. I was very pleased with both v …
No pictures today as I have been working on a commissioned hat design which is private. I updated my new commissions book and had interest in another commissioned valentines card. I made good progress today and did a second draft design after client feedback, this was sent to them and had now been approved. I …
Until 2020 commissions were something that I hadn’t been asked to do many times, which suited me as some early on had either gone wrong or caused me stress as I found myself working to someone else’s expectations which weren’t always clear. Now, however I am more confident and I have a number of different …
When I was a teacher I was always keen to point out to my pupils that I didn’t know all the answers and that I would always be learning. I would attend education events about teaching approaches or geography conferences where I would often add skills and update my own learning. In the interview that …