October Musings; Autumn’s Art:Surrey 2024!
Well it definitely feels like autumn is here and winter is on her way; the leaves are falling, the temperature is up and down, its raining (a lot) and I have my first cold of the season boo!!! Why do colds always arrive when you are really busy and having a head feeling like it’s full of cotton wool makes it difficult to achieve anything and so the To-do list just keeps getting longer and longer?!! That’s where I am at the moment.
Before this cold I was very focused on making progress with the book illustrations especially as its half term next week (how did that come around so quickly?!). I have now finished two books with their front covers with the third planned. It’s now picking up momentum as the front cover reveal for book 1 will be happening next week with its publication on the 18th February which is super exciting as well as a little daunting. These books have been a secret for so long and the illustrations are very different to what I usually ‘do’.
Now that the book illustrations are such a focus it seems like Art:Surrey was such a long time ago when it was only actually three weeks! It was such a great weekend! I thoroughly enjoy exhibiting with the Art:Surrey team as they are so organised and professional as well as friendly and supportive. They make it so easy for the exhibitors.
I was really looking forward to seeing my ‘Seasons’ panels and the mini British Birds pieces displayed. I took the tanagers and Hummingbirds for their last outing, secretly I didn’t want them to sell as we have found the perfect spot for them in our home and it looks so bare without them. So, as far as I’m concerned they have been sold…to my family and I!
I was very lucky with my stand neighbours again. Most artists work alone and so the art fairs are such great ways to build a community, share ideas and advice and it makes such a difference having someone to natter to during the quiet lulls that will always happen around lunchtime!
I always find I learn something or I’m given advice that has a big impact on me creatively or the business side of things. This time I was given a big nudge to get my newsletter set up which has been on my ‘list to do’ for a very long time! It will be a type of newsletter that is only sent out when I have news and not to replace this blog, and I now know how Im going to do it!
My stand neighbour also made an interesting point about the different types of art fairs and their location and how this can impact the pieces sold. This definitely made me wonder whether more rural locations would ‘suit’ my nature inspired work more. Something I will be mulling over…..
Overall the weekend was very busy and I did sell; several of the mini birds found new homes, a couple of unframed originals and several prints. But it was also successful in other ways; I met some really lovely visitors who stopped to have a chat, received very complimentary feedback about my work and it was just amazing being in a creative environment with so much beautiful art. The weekend just whizzed by, and it left me feeling really excited for Art:Surrey in the spring.
I do have plans for my next art fair which includes new work, but for now I need to shake this cold and focus on the book illustrations…oh and setting up this newsletter!!! Watch this space!