What I'm Working On: March

I've had a particularly busy start to the year because I will be attending my first trade show (BCTF, Harrogate) in just under a month's time. I had heard great things from the lovely makers I met during art markets last year and decided to register my interest in the show at the start of the year, thinking perhaps I could learn more about it and apply for 2017. I then received a phone call from the lovely Margeret who organises the show telling me she had taken a look at my work and would be delighted to have me in the Newcomers Gallery this year. I was absolutely delighted and a little apprehensive as I am very much a planner and this only gave me a short window of time to prepare for the show.

Invitations have been sent out to galleries and shops.

Since then I have been redesigning my packaging for my products- smartening up my fine art prints with printed labels and information cards on the backs, creating catalogues of my work, designing new packaging for my pocket mirrors and altering my pricing so that it is suitable to sell at a trade show without making a loss to name but a few! So far I would thoroughly recommend taking part to any other makers out there as there is a wealth of information to help you prepare for the show and it really helps to guide you to a more professional set up.

I'm now surgically attached to the Newcomers' Guide

Sam has very kindly agreed to help me build my stand and come along to the show with me and my next job is deciding exactly how I'd like the stand to look. The Newcomers are allocated a 2m by 1m area which is actually quite a tricky space to fit lots of stock into so I will be having an experiment with ideas this week.

I have also been working on a time-lapse series of videos showing how I create one of my paintings. My mission is to double my range of work by the time h.Art rolls around and this is the first of those pieces. He's not finished quite yet, so part three will be appearing soon!

I will be attending loads more art markets this year- please see the list below and am also delighted that I will now also be at the May Farmer's Market at The Talbot at Knightwick on the second Sunday of the month.

Where to find me this year.

And finally here are a few images from my sketchbook: