This week I chat about the
–Affordable Art Fair Battersea 2021 for which I have paintings on show with The Graham Hunter Gallery,
– getting back into painting after finishing my last series of paintings
– and the importance of painting processes within my painting practice.
Press play to hear me chat and hear what I’ve been up to this week in my art studio!
Background to my Live Studio Updates:
When Covid-19 arrived in the UK all of my upcoming exhibitions, art fairs and arts facilitation roles were either cancelled or postponed. If Covid has taught me anything it’s the importance of proactivity and self-resilience. If I had no way to physically show my paintings then I had to work out an alternative. I had a small online presence through my website and Instagram account but wasn’t very sure how to use either. However, I saw these platforms as a way to keep my work moving & to get my paintings seen. I did an overhaul of my website (ongoing!), began to be more active on my Instagram and started a YouTube channel.
One of the hardest things I did was I began speaking live every Wednesday from my studio about what was happening, what work I was making, the ethos of my painting practice and all the realities of life as an artist. I felt vulnerable because I was putting myself ‘out there’ into the online space and wasn’t sure how I would be received. But this practice each Wednesday has proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve made over the last year.
Building Virtual Art Relationships
Through chatting and sharing directly from my art studio I’ve connected with first-time art buyers & seasoned art collectors around the world. I’ve had lots of positive feedback but the main thing I keep hearing is it’s great to see what goes into making a painting rather than just buying the finished artwork. I share the materials I use, why I use them, painting techniques and how I build the composition of a painting.
Also because abstraction can be viewed as an inaccessible area of art people tell me they’ve enjoyed learning about this genre as I also share artists who have influenced my work and any exhibitions I go to (when I can!). The online art market has grown because of Covid. For me, I love that people can now buy my original abstract paintings online from me, connecting with me directly and build a virtual art relationship.
As these videos have become an integral part of what I do, I’ve decided to start sharing them on my website in my creative journal posts as it opens up my work to you. If you can’t come and visit me at an exhibition or in my painting studio at least now you can see & hear all about what I’m making and how I’m making it! If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch as it’s always a pleasure to hear from people interested in my paintings.
If you are London, UK based I hope you can make it to the Affordable Art Fair. There’s a lot of great work on show from many fantastic artists. I’ll be there on Friday evening if you want to meet up, just get in touch and I can chat more about my painting processes with you!
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