What happened?!

Melbourne Festival 2012

I have no idea what happened to September!!  There we were enjoying the summer holidays and suddenly we're knocking on October's door and collecting fallen leaves on the way to school.  It's been a veritable whirlwind of highs and lows. Wirksworth Festival was great; great art, great people, great sales.  I felt in touch with myself and loved talking to people and living my creative life.  Then there was the reality check. The following weekend I had the Melbourne Festival but with a busy week in between, and a poorly child to contend with, I hit the buffers half way through the weekend and ended up in bed ill.  My hero?  David.  He stood in for me with a smile and promoted me really well and made some good sales!

My plan was to use these events as a chance to assess what was working for me and where I want to go.  As part of that plan, I attended a one day 'Creative Business Away Day' at The Refectory Table.  It was really worthwhile.  It has thrown lots up in the air and I am still waiting for the pieces to fall back in to place but ideas that I had had rumbling in the back of my head came to the fore and I was given some valuable methods for assessing and reassessing my business.  The upshot is I don't want to do anymore than I am doing but I want to take time to focus on each area of my business and achieve my potential.  So this week I've been curling up with 'Make Your Creativity Pay' and a big notebook.  I'm also trying to be smart enough to use my smart phone for all my social media but I'm not sure I've got what it takes!

So, the studio build goes on and I'm clearing out my current studio and finding homes for unwanted things.  I feel that I'm bubbling with ideas across all areas of my life.  My youngest started school this month and I'm relishing the extra time but my to-do list is long.  It's three years since I started my business and it feels like the right time to take stock and make a plan of where I am going.  I'll let you know when I've had my epiphany.

Why I love Autumn

I never thought I'd grow up to be interested in ploughing! This image comes from the latest Country Living magazine.  It reminded me of all that I look forward to at this time of year:

• Fields of cut corn as far as the eye can see
• A crispness in the morning air
• The first fire of the season.....yet to come but just around the corner
• Produce from the allotment: pumpkins, cobnuts, apples, beans and more beans
• Layering up the sofa with blankets and cushions ready for some cosy reading with a pile of boys
• Crumpets and honey for Sunday tea

Have a great weekend.  We're off to Wirksworth for the Festival to catch up with friends old and new: Terry Davies, Michelle Neale, Sue Vanderplank, Stevie Davies, Heather Dewick, Justine Nettleton.  Good luck everyone!

Arts funding cuts

Bob and Roberta Smith 

It's decision day for the Arts Council funding cuts.  From the coverage I've seen, there are wide spread cuts, and combined with the education minister's plans to wipe Art from the exam curriculum, it's a bleak day for the future of art and culture in our country.  That said, I was pleased to see that of the groups that I have direct links to, funding has not been drastically effected.  North Kesteven District Council, who fund Design Factory have secured 16.4% more funding.  The Leicester Print Workshop have a massive 85% increase in their funds.  Wirksworth Festival will be sad to lose 10% of their funding.  I hope that the festival can continue to flourish in spite of this and that the shortfall won't need to be met by the artists involved.

This artist's fortunes have just received a boost.  David has secured some work.  Temporary but much needed!  That Orla Kiely book will be mine!

Yippee!

Wow!  What a magical weekend.  I LOVED taking part in the Wirksworth Festival and met so many lovely and interesting people.  I had a great response to my work.  I sold several pieces but more than that I received creative fortitude.  It was such a boost to see people engaging with the work and receiving from it the sense of joy, or meditation that I wanted for the piece.  There were many creatives there with whom I discussed technique, and I talked to book restorers, textile makers and painters, who were intrigued to know how I create my work.  I am now really excited to establish a workshop programme so I can share my ideas and techniques.  The first planned will be in March 2011.  Please e-mail via the website if you would like to be added to the mailing list for these.

The only draw back to the weekend was that I didn't really get out and about to imbibe that magical Wirksworth spirit.  I was so glad that there was a music venue right outside the library to bring the fetival to me.

Thank you to all who came to see me for your wonderful positivity and support.  I'm on cloud nine!

Culmination

The exhibition I have put up at Wirksworth Library is the culmination of a years work.  Starting work again after having a family, it has been no mean feat to find my creative soul and be confident to express it.  I now find myself with a portfolio of work that I am proud to put my name to, galleries wishing to represent me and a fiery ambition to live the creative life.

I really hope that you can visit me in Wirksworth this weekend.

Exhibition Catalogue: Smaller works

Awakening

Day

Jewelled

Midwinter

Red Sky at Night

Resonance

Exhibition catalogue: Landscapes

North Wind

SOLD. Burnished

SOLD. Harvest

SOLD. Autumn Sun

Autumn Storm

Moonlit Copse

SOLD. Theatre of Light

Exhibition catalogue: Larger works

SOLD. One Leaf Left

The Robin and the Snowdrops

On the Breeze

Echo

Nearly there!

Hooray!  I've finished all my work for the Wirksworth Festival.  Tomorrow I am setting up and on Saturday and Sunday I will be at the library in Wirksworth as part of the Art and Architecture trail.  It's a great event, with street art and music, and over one hundred artists hosted in venues around the picturesque town of Wirksworth.  Hope to see you there!

See press for details!

Wirksworth Festival 2009

What a day we had at Wirksworth Festival. It was such a warm September day and the town looked beautiful and bustling with allsorts of folk up for the weekend arts and architecture trail. This is the third year that I've been and it's a place I feel really inspired by. There's so much to see and a day isn't really enough. The town comes alive with homes being opened to host artists, shops commissioning creative window displays, street theatre, music and open gardens.

I loved these cakes by Jeni Smith displayed in the bakery window. I was thrilled to find a white ceramic cake stand in the vintage shop around the corner. Sadly it met it's demise about an hour after it was purchased for me. Another reminder that nothing lasts forever.

The visit to Wirksworth festival coincided with the back-to-school week and has become part of my ritual of celebrating the end of summer. Now I'm looking forward to the richer, shorter, intense days of Autumn.