Quaint, Queer and just a little bit Weird...

Soooo...

it's been a while...

Sorry!

Things have gone slightly crazy round here, and instead of having nothing to blog about, I have so much to blog about I don't know where to start!

 

This weekend the big event finally arrived...

I was invited to be part of this fantastic event by my good friend Nicki so I could showcase some of my work. This Alternative Wedding Fair has been months of hard work for the organisers, and they did not let the exhibitors down. It was busy the whole time with all sorts of crazy fun; cabaret acts, cosplay, retro and rockabilly hair and make up, belly dancing, steam punk, gigantic cakes, huge paper flowers... I could go on. It was awesome.

 

So here are a few of my designs gracing the 'Gothic/Night Circus' Style Area:

 

 Photo: Nicki Komorowski

 

 

And here is little old me sketching away at my stall:

 

Photo: Nicki Komorowski

 

I had lots of lovely conversations, met great people and even got an exciting commission!

 

 What a great opportunity.

Now, on with that very long to-do list...

 

Inspiration - where I get my ideas

Someone asked me yesterday how I come up with ideas. It varies; sometimes an image or person inspires me and an extension of that floats round in my head for a while until it's time to put it down on paper:

With 'The Dress' I just knew I wanted to do a crazy dress that went on and on and had lots of detail and colour. It turned out nothing like planned, but it was fun, and I loved seeing how she emerged on the page. Ideas came to me as I was working on this and it only took a couple of evenings.

 

At other times I see a photo or video clip and that image sticks in my head, so like emptying the rubbish I have to sketch it quick, because it's not ground-breaking, it's just there, and will probably sit there getting in the way of my more creative stuff until I do jot it down. This, I have learnt, is the great importance of sketch-booking/journaling:

 

These legs 'broke-in' a new sketch book, but was pretty much taken from a photo I remembered seeing. It was good practice for body shape.

 

Then there are the ideas that sit deep in the soul and simmer there for months, sometimes years. They are the pieces that bring out the real 'drama queen artist' in me, when my husband asks me why that canvas has been sitting in the corner (getting in the way, gathering dust) for months I just vaguely mutter something like, 'I'm not sure which way it's going, I'm a bit stuck, I'll get back to it at some point' and waft out of the room.

 To anyone who finds artists a bit weird and on another planet, this sort of piece will prove you right (see sunflower seeds above). That piece is like a tricky friend I really care about, we'll chat again soon, not sure where we're at but I know it will be difficult and I want to get it right.

 

Then there are the ideas that come straight from my kids - great fun:

 

 

And the ones that spill out, and develop, and surprise you with a huge theme like 'life and death':

 

 This is 'The Fallen Ones', a larger canvas piece that is currently hanging in the Bentlif Gallery in Maidstone Museum - pop in and see The Bentif Open Art Prize, showing until 3rd May. It is a really fantastic variety of work and I am very excited to be part of it.

Thanks for reading!

Cheesy smiles...

I finally saw my piece hanging in the exhibition! Yey!

 

As part of being accepted to the Winter Exhibition at The Beaney I was offered the opportunity to sell my cards and prints in the gallery - so I chose the wettest Thursday to zoom dangerously down the A2, carrying bags and a table in the rain to set up for 3 hours (limited by the school run).

Here's my CHEESY thumbs-up grin (and what is my hair doing?) with my piece.

I'm sure it's shrunk. It looks so tiny in the huge space, with huge pieces hung round it.

I counted about 30 people who wandered in while I was there - not bad for a wet Thursday. I had some lovely conversations, was very encouraged even though it came close to being a traumatic wash-out, and I even sold a small number of cards.

(If you missed my blog posts from Tumblr about the run up to this exhibition and the Bespoke Fair just click on the November 2014 tab on the right - I have transferred it all back here.)

 

In all the rush of getting there, I forgot my sketch book or any kind of book to pass the time! Luckily I had nice pens with me, grabbed some flyers from reception and doodled happily on the back of those, plotting my next piece.

 

And in a similar vein... to answer the question posed in my last post, Watercolour vs Acrylic... I still haven't made up my mind, BUT I did paint this with Acrylics two nights ago. It's bigger than it looks here, about 50x40cm canvas. Still not convinced. It's heavy and I didn't use a big enough brush. Hmmm...

 

 

Rooted Together

Back from hurtling down the M2 to Canterbury to deliver this:

 

 

Phew! Made it!
This piece is called ‘Rooted Together’ and is watercolour with freehand machine embroidery overlaid.

I was even able to sneak a peek at the other pieces that will be displayed - some gorgeous stuff, can’t wait to go back in the next few weeks!

It will be on show from Saturday at The Beaney (The Visitor Centre and Gallery at the top of the High Street) for their Seller’s Exhibition until January 18th.

I did it! My first fair!

I did it. I really actually properly did it. I presented my work to the public, and nobody laughed in my face. I managed to frame 13 original pieces so they looked ok [not perfect], and sold enough cards and prints to cover my costs and make a profit! And the BIGGEST wow was that I sold an ORIGINAL - the Swan - to a lovely lady who said she was going to give it as a gift to her daughter who lives in ‘Swan Cottage’ and has a black and white theme. Perfect.

I didn’t care whether I would sell anything or not once 6pm came round on Friday. I just grinned with pride that I had managed to push myself and get it all packaged, hung, priced and presented.

Phew!

Now what…?

I’ll keep you posted x

Back from the printers...

Framing my originals and packing up cards for Saturday at the Bespoke Fair - doesn’t everything look so lovely surrounded by a nice white border? *Sigh*…

 

 

My piece got accepted!

So excited! I can’t believe it! The piece with two trees - Rooted Together - got accepted for the exhibition at the Beaney, Canterbury - woop woop!!

Exhibition Entry for The Beaney, Canterbury

Just sent these two pieces off for the Winter Sellers’ Exhibition at The Beaney in Canterbury. This is a HUGE step for me - to even believe that my work could stand among other artists’ work is too scary and unbelievable. But my confidence is growing and I have nothing to lose.

http://www.canterbury.co.uk/Beaney/whats_on/Canterbury-The-Beaney-House-of-Art-Knowledge/details/?dms=3&venue=3036870&feature=1301