I feel so blessed to announce that there are A LOT of things coming up over here! Here they are by date order. Get booked on! I hope to see you at one (or more) of the workshops!
- 17 April - Art Market at Ruth Burrows' studio in the heart of Sleaford. I'll be running a watercolor workshop for children (and grownups).
- 9 May - Oil Paintings from Start to Finish. My THIRD oil painting workshop (eek!). This one will show you my process from beginning to end in setting up a canvas, laying out a composition, and completing an oil painting. ALL materials are included. Book here.
- 31 May - Yoga and Art Mindfulness Retreat. I'm so excited about this! The 5-hour workshop will begin with a meditative yoga practice before evolving into a guided walk around a beautiful picturesque estate. The walk will incorporate a mindful sketchbook practice before we complete an en plein air pastel painting of the grounds. Link for booking will be announced soon.
- 25 June - RAF paint and sip workshop. Focused on creating a beautiful landscape keepsake inspired by Lincolnshire landscapes to remember a quietly beautiful place.
Phew. *wipes forehead* Now on to the lessons.
This whole artist thing is tricky getting your head around at the beginning. There have been so many ups and downs over the last couple of weeks, and as my full-time job has wound down and come to an end, I've been trying to re-route that energy into my art business. There have been some really important lessons though that stand out as musts for anyone looking to dive into an art career:
- Start as you mean to go on. This means addressing all the things that might feel uncomfortable or scary because you don't know as much about them: the insurance, the registration as a business, taxes. But it's really important.
- Have a clear idea of who you are and what you want to offer. I'm not a huge fan of the "you must have a style" approach. A recognisable brand is important, but worrying about have a very narrow style can stop you from getting started. What you DO need to know is what type of art interests you; do you want to teach, sell prints, or only focus on originals; what are your goals for your art?
- Seek advice. I got some invaluable advice this week from a friend in the yoga community. Some aspects of business are the same no matter what your focus, so see what that contact knows. Asking for advice isn't weakness...it's strength.
- There will likely be an initial investment - factor this into savings.
- And last but not least DON'T overbook yourself at the beginning. There will be a lot of work to get set-up (the website can take HOURS), so think about taking it slow for the first couple of months and aiming for sustainability over burnout.