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Paintings in Cheltenham: An Artist Exploring her Hometown

July 24th, 2018 by Emma

An artist, a photographer and a digital producer wandered the streets and the hills of Cheltenham to photograph new abstract paintings that debut this August.

Located on the edge of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham is a regency town renowned for its horse racing, cultural festivals and areas of outstanding natural beauty. I was born here, in this beautiful place – and I’ll never take for granted.

Many of the new paintings exhibiting in my first solo show, Homegrown, were inspired by Cheltenham and its surrounding areas – so, here are a few fitting in with the townscape.

Pen y Fan, 22″ x 15″, 2018. Queens Hotel.

Pen y Fan, 22″ x 15″, 2018. Cheltenham Promenade.

Listen To Winter #2, 22″ x 15″, 2018. Next to Sophie Ryder‘s The Hare and the Minotaur.

Pen y Fan, 22″ x 15″, 2018. The Beer Gardens.

Listen To Winter #2, 22″ x 15″, 2018. Pitville Pump Rooms.

Never Far From Colour #2, 22″ x 15″, 2018. Cleeve Hill.

Please join me at the opening of my show on Friday 3rd August from 7pm until 10pm above Aroundabout Sound on the lower high street, GL50 3JA.

View all the paintings exhibited.

Follow my practice on Instagram.

Photography by Matt Beard.

Frames by Regency Gallery and Framing.

Paintings by Emma Howell.

Homegrown: A View of my New Paintings

July 20th, 2018 by Emma

In two weeks time, the doors to my first solo show opens.

Homegrown will exhibit 30 paintings to reveal 18 months of healing. Marks and colours sourced from my journals coalesce to form visual adventures.

Join me for the opening night on Friday 3rd August from 7pm until 10pm at Aroundabout Sound in Cheltenham. The work will be on view until Friday 17th August Tuesday to Saturday 10am until 4pm, or by appointment.

You can view and purchase all of the paintings in the exhibition here and send any enquiries to [email protected].

Pen y Fan, 22″ x 15″. View work

What Days Are Looking Like #2, 22″ x 15″. View work

The Greatest Accomplishment #2, 22″ x 15″. View work

How #7, 5.5″ x 3.75″. View workHow #6, 5.5″ x 3.75″. View work

How #12, 5.5″ x 3.75″. View work

Please note: All purchased works have bespoke frames and will be shipped once the exhibition closes after August 17th. Shipping costs vary depending on the work and its destination, so this cost will be invoiced separately to the online purchase.

What to do after your Fine Art Degree

July 6th, 2018 by Emma

First things first, being a fine artist is hard.

So, if you’ve just graduated in Fine Art, this post will hopefully guide you in the right direction and help you decide what to do after your Fine Art degree.

So, your degree is finally over

You’re feeling really good. All of the work is finally over. Your dissertation is in, your degree show has come to a close and perhaps you’ve even sold an artwork or two as well. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment – I remember it well.

So, what do you want to do now? Perhaps give yourself a break and go on holiday – or swiftly throw your CV out here, there and everywhere to start earning some money in the “real” world. It’s a pretty tough time, despite the celebrations.

My transition from graduating to working as an artist was not smooth, at all. I completed university at the end of 2015 and got back into painting at the beginning of 2017. That’s a pretty big gap.

To be honest – when I graduated, I wanted to escape Fine Art. However, I did make an effort to research potential jobs, like a gallery intern, a school art technician or an artist’s assistant – but found myself feeling nauseous about the whole notion of “The Art World”. It didn’t feel very me (at the time). So, in the two-ish year gap, I bounced from role to role, trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I worked in a clothes store, behind a bar, at a school and in a nutrition centre – but nothing brought me happiness. Unfortunately, I had to suffer a tragedy to realise that working as an artist was, in fact, what I was meant to do from the start.

Looking back, I only wish that I’d found a blog post about what to do after a Fine Art degree – it would have made it a lot easier to make a decision.

So, what should you do now? Keep reading.

Like I said, “The Art World” is pretty intimidating

You’ve got to accept this. The Art World is a huge industry and it’s very competitive, often pretentious and all-in-all a scary place to be. You’ll know from your course that putting your artwork in front of the world is quite frightening – so are you ready to take on the challenge of trying to make money this way?

There are thousands and thousands of artists in the UK trying to make it – and most likely in all the other countries too. The market is overcrowded, but does this mean you shouldn’t bother? Absolutely not.

You can fit into the Art World in whatever way you want to – just don’t expect Charles Saatchi to chase you at the start of your career.

Well.. you never know.

Let’s be frank: you need to get (another) job

You know the whole ‘starving artist’ notion? Well, it’s damn true for the majority of us. We are poor and busy, so we have to sacrifice a lot of things (our social life, holidays, relationships, clothes, stuff..) in order to stick to our plan of being a full time artist – it sucks.

Quality art supplies are also extremely expensive. And when you’re adding this cost to your studio rent, house rent, bills etc. your outgoings are getting pretty hefty.

So, when you’re a recent graduate – unless you’ve made killer connections, have a financial aid or already have an ace reputation – it’s going to be very hard to fund your whole art business on art sales alone.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Go get a regular job – for the time being.

Having another job also gives you more social interaction and an opportunity to step back from your work once in a while. So, try not to feel bogged down by a bar job, office work or making coffee because it’s only temporary.

But what’s it like working for yourself?

Do you like working for someone else? Or do you dream of being self-employed?

I’ll tell you now – working for yourself (particularly as an artist) is risky, terrifying and unpredictable; some people may call you mad, stupid and/or reckless. But do you know what I say to these people?

I say “yeah, you’re right – and look how much freedom I’ve got”.

Freedom.

Working for yourself grants you omission from a crowded office, an intimidating boss and the requirement to wear smart clothes. Working for yourself means that you have no choice but to grow into a strong, independent and business-savvy person – no choice.

Which brings up a slightly negative aspect of self-employment: for someone who isn’t blessed with the gift of mathematics, who lacks organisational skills and a self-esteem (me), it’s very hard to get the hang of taxes, marketing and self-promotion.

You feel out of your comfort zone 24/7.

But isn’t that marvellous?

What better way to learn how to swim than to constantly be in the deep end.

Hold up. What about an MA?

This is a tricky one – and it all depends on you and your lifestyle.

I was urged by my course leader to do an MA in Fine Art. My first thought was absolutely not – can I have a break from education please?

However, last year, the prospect of going back to study art at a higher level (and at a more prestigious art school) seemed rather appealing. I’d followed a few art schools on Instagram, and found myself craving the routine and academic/social aspects of university life. So, whilst I was on the plane home from Greece, I wrote pages upon pages listing the pros and cons of studying an MA.

Here are some points I deduced:

Pros

Relevant networking/making connections
High end galleries may favour your CV
Potential to learn more (first-hand) from academics
You get a studio space (hopefully)
Interaction and collaboration with other artists

Cons

It’s very expensive – do you want to be in more debt?
It does not guarantee success – by any means. In this day in age, more and more artists with no qualifications are being considered by galleries and businesses.
It will take up more of your precious time
You’re location dependent – again

When I returned to Cheltenham, I sat on the floor of my studio and looked around at what I’d already achieved (without an MA) – and at that very moment, I decided to not go through with it.

My student loan is already over £30k and to be honest, I don’t feel like I need an MA. I have faith that I’ll be successful without the letters after my name.

But, please – if you want to go for it, go for it; It will be an incredible experience, regardless!

Finding a studio space

So, if you’ve decided to hold off on the MA for the time being, it’s time to find yourself a place to develop your art practice.

One common notion among local artists I’ve spoken to is that finding a space to create your work can be a very frustrating and expensive ordeal. At the beginning of your art career, your space to work in is likely not going to be glamorous.

Do you have a spare room? Do your parents? Perhaps there’s a local space for emerging artists in your hometown? I’ve seen some artists working in garages and heard about some who rent desks in an office – yes a desk in an office. Unfortunately, at this stage in your career – you need to find wherever you can to do your work.

I don’t advise that you use your living room or bedroom – this is what I did for the first 6 months. I found it claustrophobic and felt as though I couldn’t take a step back from my work; I was constantly immersed in it, which isn’t always good.

As an example, imagine being stuck in a room with one person – day in day out. You do like that person, but there are moments where you just need to walk away for some air, some space, some perspective.

Having your artwork spread out in front of you, alongside all of the paints, brushes and materials can also get pretty cluttered – so, not ideal for a living space. You’ve also got to be respectful towards your housemate, if you have one. Sorry for the messes I used to make, Jon.

My studio situation is both unfortunate and fortunate. At the beginning of 2017, I moved into my studio (and now gallery space), which sits above my Dad’s music shop. It’s quite a large room with a 12ft ceiling, old wooden floors, plenty of wall space and a large window that looks out to Cheltenham’s busy lower high street. In a lot of ways, this space could be considered an artist’s ideal studio space – and I’m very grateful for that.

However, the only reason I’ve moved there is because the room was cleared out after my Dad passed away in 2016. It used to be a stockroom and bass showroom for the music shop – but since my Mum took the reigns, she’s cut down the amount of stock in the building. Thus, leaving a lovely room – steeped in history – empty. And that’s why I moved in.

As American author Rick Riordan says, “out of every tragedy, comes new strength” and losing my Dad was where I found the strength to pursue a career as an artist.

Back to you – is your work crap?

Yes, you’ve completed a 3 maybe 4 year degree in art and you may be totally confident with your current style. But have a look around, what is the art world looking like. Be smart with yourself – are you making crap art?

If you intend to sell your work, you not only need to be really confident about it, but also you need to be realistic about a target market. Is there a particular market you want to sell to? Do you want to have gallery representation? Where do you want your work to hang – in hotels, in coffee shops, in people’s houses? Being focused on your work goals makes business a lot easier.

Of course – you are entitled to make whatever art you want to (I certainly do) and you could be just as successful as someone who’s planned it all out. But in this ever-expanding community of artists, does your work stand out – and is it good enough?

To figure this out, it’s important to know yourself and your work. So, grab a notebook and jot it all out.

Many, many times I’ve written down (and answered) these questions:

Why are you an artist?

What are you trying to show/prove?

Why is your work important?

Why should someone care about/collect your work?

Why do you use these particular materials?

Answering these questions keeps your head (mostly) clear, enables you to set goals and then learn how to reach them. If you have a scatterbrain like me (apparently quite common among creatives), you’ll need to regularly tune in with yourself. If you keep asking yourself why and how, I’ve found that it prevents those ‘what am I doing with my life!?’ and ‘my work is a load of crap’ moments.

Keep a level head and be realistic with yourself.

OK – and how do you make money as an emerging artist?

At present day, artists are being given more and more opportunities to make money – and not just by selling artwork. This is obviously the numero uno goal – make work, exhibit work, sell work, repeat. However, if you contact/are spotted by the right people/brands – and provided the collaboration would be ethically sound – you’re able to earn money through sponsored posts and targeted marketing campaigns.

Be smart and savvy with your art business. What are your skills other than creating artwork? Could you also teach and provide online content, like video tutorials and ebooks?

.. and that’s just the digital world.

What about the real world? Where you can host local workshops, set up market stalls and talk to real people about who you are and why what you do is important. Make friends. Make connections. Make business. Make money. (More on this in the next section)

So, how do you get ‘known’ or ‘spotted’?

This is tricky and it varies from person to person.

To get spotted, you need to put yourself out there – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally (usually in that order). Aside from social media, you need to network with the right people, in person.

‘To get spotted’ is actually something you shouldn’t rely on. From my experience, the best thing for you to do as an emerging artist is to ask for opportunities, and don’t wait for people to come to you because 9 times out of 10, they won’t – sorry for the bad news.

Ask for advice from other artists.

Ask a business if they’d like to see your work.

Ask a brand if they’d be willing to collaborate.

Ask an influencer on social media to share your work with their audience.

Ask your audience what they think of your latest piece.

It may take 100 asks to get 1 yes, but this is a lot more productive than waiting for people to find you.

But make sure you’re super confident in what you’ve created before you go out and ask – otherwise you won’t be confident to ask people. Once you’ve grown your confidence, find people and tell them who you are and why they need your work in their life.

In addition to this, an online audience is extremely helpful for exposure. Yes, I’m talking about Instagram followers, Facebook fans etc. It’s apparently meant to be the time for artists to get on the Instagram train. It’s very quickly zooming by, so throw yourself on – if you can.

Regularly publishing your artwork on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc.) is a way to get more eyes on your work – and this is what you need. More eyes.

More eyes = more opportunities.

There are over 800 million active monthly users on Instagram. So, if you manage to ace the right kind of strategy, there is a lot of potential to grow your business here. It might be worth setting up a Facebook business page too.

You’ll be able to read how to promote your art on Instagram soon on my blog.

Hey – what about artist residencies?

An artist residency is a great option for young artists and recent graduates.

But what exactly is an artist residency?

They are programmes that give artists the opportunity to stay and make art in a place that is outside their typical working environment, away from their usual hustle and bustle. They give you the chance to develop your practice in a new location, potentially with new materials and quite often, among other creatives (and mentors). Bear in mind that many residency programmes come at a cost – and quite a hefty one at that. Conversely, there are paid opportunities too – you’ve just got to find the right one for you. Whether it be at your old school, in your capital city or on the other side of the globe in Bali, there are thousands of places you can dwell and develop your practice.

Residencies look pretty good on your CV too, so perhaps consider applying for a few when you’re ready.

Artsy have a great guide on how to go about artist residencies.

Get a website and start a blog

Seriously – do this now.

You need to get writing about your work, your influences, your inspirations – anything. You need an online presence that isn’t owned by a third party, like Instagram. Imagine if they got hacked or stopped completely, like Vine did (I loved Vine – anyone else?!).

You need to own your own online space where you can market yourself. Save up and pay for a website, or sign up to a free blogging platform. Do what you can to obtain a place to direct people, so that they can learn more about your work.

As well as being an artist, I also work in an SEO agency to help fund my practice. Here, I’ve learned a lot about the importance of a website for a business – especially in this day in age.

Write often and write well. You want people to find you – and Google love regular and unique content. No copy and pasting – you’ll get found out and it penalises your ranking on Google.

Once you’ve set up your website/blog, you’ve given yourself a huge marketing opportunity. And now, all you need to work out is how to get people to your website. Again, a very difficult task.

In addition to this, you could also consider setting up an online shop on platforms like Etsy or Shopify. You want to sell artwork – right? So, this is a great way to get started. But bear in mind that you won’t get many sales without a marketing strategy – yes, that word again. So, try and not waste your time..

To be able to market yourself, you’ve got to believe in yourself

Remember what I said earlier about confidence, marketing and self-promotion?

Well, to succeed as an artist, you must be able to talk about yourself and your work – confidently and regularly. If you don’t believe in your work, your talents – yourself – you cannot expect anyone else to believe in you. There’s a quote somewhere for this..

Most of us are self-critical and our own worst enemies when it comes to career/life goals. You know, that voice in your head that’s like “you can’t do this”, “your artwork sucks”, “you’re so out of your depth” and “this will take you years – don’t bother”. If you’ve ever said any of these to yourself, you need to go back to square one and ask yourself those questions I asked earlier.

When it’s time to start marketing yourself as an artist, you’ve got to make sure that you’re ready to talk about your work confidently and also, be open to criticism. Yes, there will be people out there that will hate your artwork. But that’s fine – because this means that there are people out there that will love your artwork.

Land your first “real world” exhibition

Set this as a goal and work towards it.

You may feel that this is well out of your reach right now – and hey, it probably is. But for you to make it in this world as an artist, people need to see your work. So, to begin with – go local. Ask local coffee shops, restaurants, offices, even art galleries how they’d feel about exhibiting your work. Tell them that you’re an emerging artist and looking for opportunities to increase your visibility. You’ll get a handful of no’s but remember what I said earlier, it may take 100 asks to get 1 yes.

Get the ball rolling. Once your work hangs in one place, it will start a chain reaction and create more opportunities (e.g. commissions, artwork sales and further exhibitions).

Generate local buzz, tell the press your story and promote the hell out of your work. Share it online and ask your friends, family and colleagues to spread the word. After a while, people will start talking about you and BAM you’ve got local exposure.

After you’ve had your first exhibition, whack it on your CV and then repeat the process. Perhaps go a little bigger next time and approach galleries/businesses in a neighbouring city.

Over time, your reputation will grow. But remember – this will all take time, so be thankful for your other part-time job at this point.

It’s all about the long game.

What to do after your Fine Art degree checklist

Take a break but don’t lose momentum
Decide whether or not to do an MA
Get a part-time job (seriously)
Find a space to work
Develop your practice and be honest with yourself
Consider an artist residency
Introduce yourself online (social media and your website)
Introduce yourself offline (talk to real people and attend events)
Ask for opportunities
Write regular essays/blog posts on your practice
Develop and ace your marketing strategy
Land your first show
Network, network, network
Repeat

So, do you still want to be an artist?

You’ve done so well to get where you are now; you should be proud of yourself.

Now, are you ready to climb the first rung of the ladder to be a full time artist?

Or is it all a bit too risky?

Up to you.

If you’d like to talk to me about this post, please do get in touch and I will respond as soon as I can.

Homegrown: Introducing My First Solo Show

June 22nd, 2018 by Emma

Firstly, a Thank You

I’m writing this with a smile.

When I was a child, my Dad and I would take frequent trips to Hobbycraft to top up my ever-expanding stockpile of paint brushes, watercolours, sketchbooks, stencils, candle-making kits, anything – you name it. I’d scavenge the shelves and get increasingly excited as I began conjuring up yet another arty project. Dad would be very tolerant of my Hobbycraft addiction – so much so, he’d feed it with hope of me staying creative, and happy.

If you would have told me 15 years ago that I was going to be collaborating with Hobbycraft for my first solo art exhibition, there’s no way I would have believed you. Their innovative and enthusiastic team have been ever so supportive over the last few months, and I will be forever grateful to them; not to mention, their array of high quality products that I still use on a regular basis.

Thank you for making this happen, Hobbycraft.

Introducing Homegrown

How do you perceive the world around you? What colours catch your eye? What sounds do your ears tune in to? Is a view simply a view – or is it an experience that stimulates your mind and senses?

When I fell into a hole of grief and depression after my Dad passed away, I didn’t care for any view. The world was a dark and tiresome place to live, and nothing felt, looked or sounded interesting. As a social recluse and hypochondriac, I struggled with the basic everyday, and my sense of ‘home’ felt broken; rock bottom had well and truly been hit.

Getting back into painting was the first step I made in the start of my healing process. With inspiration from old explorer books and other artists (past and present), a variety of styles and techniques have unfolded in my studio. As my courage and confidence grew with painting, so did my ability to step foot outside the house and explore the world again – and this time, it wasn’t taken for granted.

The more I’ve explored outside, the more my work has evolved. I’ve embarked upon adventures close to home – and with this, my glossary of marks and colours has expanded. Journals are used to document my findings – thoughts are written down, sounds are translated into marks, and colour combinations are swiftly mixed and archived.

The work in Homegrown is the harvest of these eighteen months of seeking and healing. It’s evidence of the new relationship I’ve built with life and everything it has to offer: weather, colour, sound, conversation, adventure and opportunity.

Within the works, a quick corkscrewed mark could be a sharp and chilling breeze or a sudden rush of enthusiasm. A block of colour is to catch your attention, evoke mood or to contextualise a location – perhaps land, sea or sky. Repetitive lines act as a meditative process, feelings of monotony or the structure of a setting – like the flow of a river, rows of shrubbery or the contours of rock.

Homegrown is an exhibition of painted adventures, revealing my significant shift in perception.

Let me take you on a visual adventure and show you where I’ve explored.

Please join me for the opening of Homegrown on Friday 3rd August from 7pm at Aroundabout Sound in Cheltenham, my hometown. RSVP.

Limited Edition Giclée Fine Art prints of pages from my journals are available at my shop.

Julia Cusworth: How Do You Adventure?

March 7th, 2018 by Emma

BIO

Hi! I’m Julia, an artist and designer living in the North of England; currently exploring my love of colour and pattern through abstract, mixed media work. I wish for all my pieces to brighten lives and bring joy!

Instagram handle: @juliacusworth

Website: http://www.juliacusworth.com/

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/JuliaCusworth?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Where is your home country?

Home for me is Norfolk, England

What is the name of your hometown?

I am from a small town called King’s Lynn

What are 3 words that describe your hometown?

Rural, enclosed and green.

Why is King’s Lynn fricking awesome?

I left my hometown when I was 19 but go back often to visit my friends and family. When I hear the Norfolk accent it’s like a warm cup of tea. When I see the flat countryside fields rolling out alongside the road, it has a familiarity that feels so right. I have never lived in my hometown as an adult so it is childhood nostalgia and hometime joy to me.

Where is the first place you go when you’re bored?

The seaside! Living 15 minutes away from some of the most beautiful, secluded beaches is a thing I miss constantly.

Where do you go to find natural beauty?

For a walk; a countryside walk in Norfolk means seeing for miles and miles and watching the sun set into the ground.

Where would you go for tranquillity and relaxation?

This is very bespoke, but to my grandparents garden. A jungle of flowers, fruits and trees that have grown and been loved for years. Again, it’s the nostalgia and familiarity of it all that means home to me.

How do you make the most out of where you are?

I try and squeeze in as much as I can when I visit home. At least one trip to the seaside, one walk through a field and countless hours driving down tiny, rural roads.

What are the top 3 things a visitor needs to do/go see in your hometown?

Visit Holt or Holme, my favourite beaches
Take a day trip to Norwich. Full of colour, creatives and old architecture (always the place I wish i lived when I was young!)
Explore country lanes, extra points if you can find someone selling home grown fruits and vegetables

Where do you go for seriously good food?

My favourite place is a very traditional pub called The Hare Arms in Stow Bardolph. It has a pub cat, peacocks and amazing homemade comfort food

Huge thank you to Julia this. If you’d like to be featured with your hometown in my ‘How Do You Adventure?” series, please get in touch.

Beth Garner: How Do You Adventure?

February 19th, 2018 by Emma

Bio

A self-taught artist, I dived into the world of art after a difficult time in my personal life and began experiments in fluid painting; mixing various cocktails of house paint, gloss, acrylic, pva glue, water and washing-up liquid (anything goes!) Therapeutic and addictive, I’ve probably watched hundreds of art videos on YouTube and have found the Instagram community so uplifting and inspiring. I don’t believe there is ‘bad’ art and anyone can (and should) make art for whatever reason. After living in France, Germany and other parts of the UK for work and study, I have returned to the place I grew up, Berwick-upon-Tweed, with a new appreciation of this area. The ever-changing Northumberland skies and the oddities of light have inspired my abstract landscapes which explore and challenge light, colour, gesture and texture.

Instagram handle: @abstract.beth

Where is your home country?

England

What is the name of your hometown?

Berwick-upon-Tweed (in Northumberland)

How would you describe your hometown in 3 words?

Underrated. Peaceful. Home.

Why is Berwick-upon-Tweed fricking awesome?

I may be biased, but travelling by train from Newcastle on the east coast and arriving into Berwick is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. There are three bridges with their own stories to tell and a light that dances beautifully along the river and out to sea (commuters at sunrise and sunset can attest to this!)

Berwick-upon-Tweed may be small but packs quite a punch. Although the town changed hands between England and Scotland more than a dozen times, we finally settled in England in 1482 but our football team, Berwick Rangers, play in the Scottish League Two. There’s around 25,000 people living in the town and its surrounding area but with less than an hour by train from Edinburgh to the north and Newcastle in the south, we can enjoy the buzz of city life whenever we want.

Where is the first place you go when you’re bored?

A walk along the beach cures everything.

Where do you go to find natural beauty?

As above, the beach really does have it all and no two days are the same. The tide can be wild and ferocious one day then still and inviting the next. I often visit Paris and it is really humbling to come home to a vast horizon and the peace it brings.

Where would you go for tranquillity and relaxation?

Northumberland is one of the least densely populated counties in England meaning that you can go for a walk on Goswick beach or in the Cheviot hills and feel like you’re the only person in the world. If you do meet any locals though, we’re a friendly bunch! If you want to go a step further and literally be cut off, travel to Lindisfarne (Holy Island) which is attached to the mainland by the causeway – just be mindful of the crossing times!

How do you make the most out of where you are?

I try to go for a walk every day which admittedly can be hard when it is rainy and dark in the middle of winter. I have taken some pretty amazing summer sunrise photos which provide fantastic painting inspiration.

What are the top 3 things a visitor needs to do/go see in your hometown?

Buy fish and chips (my favourite!) and walk along the Elizabethan town walls and pier – waving to seals is optional and if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the dolphins and porpoises in the warmer months.
Visit during one of our festivals; take your pick from the Lindisfarne music festival, food and beer or film, media and arts which excellently showcase local talent, often in venues steeped in culture and history. Or just pop in to the Gymnasium Gallery or the barracks to see the latest exhibition.
Enjoy some live music downstairs at The Barrels Alehouse and learn some local slang.

Where do you go for seriously good food?

The Maltings café has brilliant views over the rooftops and serves food all day. Newly-opened Mule on Rouge is a vegan-curious café and music shop on Bridge Street which has several restaurants serving locally-sourced dishes. Venture a little further afield to the Chain Bridge Honey Farm and have your afternoon tea and cake on an old double decker bus.

Huge thank you to Beth for this. If you’d like to be featured with your hometown in my ‘How Do You Adventure?” series, please get in touch.

The Recap: Redefining an Adventure

January 18th, 2018 by Emma

Happy New Year, Everybody! – I know, it’s a bit late into January to be saying that.. but oh well.

It’s now 2018, and I’m super excited to be writing again.

Let’s Recap

At the beginning of last year, I bit the bullet and decided to get back into painting as a way to deal with the loss of my Dad. Translating my emotions onto paper and canvas enabled me to get back in touch with reality; it genuinely made me feel a lot happier. So, I continued to paint a variety of abstract art collections and also maintained this blog, writing about life as an artist and ways to maintain a happy mind.

September came around and it had been a whole year since my Dad had passed away. And I’ll admit it, I fell into a hole of unhappiness again. Painting just wasn’t working any longer. I felt trapped in my studio and my creativity came to a halt. For most of the year, I was promoting happy art for a happy mind on my Instagram because I was happy and it was (mostly) because of the art I had been making. However, I put too many eggs in one basket. The day came when I tidied up my studio and gave myself freedom. I let myself back outside, where there’s fresh air, engaging sounds and you know, people.

A family holiday to Crete was the game changer for me. I wanted to press the reset button and that’s exactly what I did.

Blank notebooks, pens, pencils, pastels, paints, jars and brushes filled my suitcase. I didn’t want to force myself to be creative whilst I was away. I brought my supplies with me just in case I felt the urge to paint or if I found inspiration. I’d had various project ideas planned for whilst I was away, and I did carry them out- but unfortunately, I didn’t feel connected to what I was creating.

What I did end up connecting with were my blank notebooks, which became very not blank by the end of the holiday. On the plane home, I was doing my usual multi-tasking (I get it from my Mum) by reading Helen Frankenthaler essays at the same time as flicking through the notebooks I’d been painting and writing in. For the duration of the trip, I’d taken these notebooks around with me everywhere, writing down conversations, describing landscapes, making marks and colours to sounds and textures- I’d been documenting everything, creatively.

The books made sense to me. It was like I’d written my own dictionary of experiences. The pages were filled with my interpretations of the way I saw things, heard things and felt things. I had come up with my own language of adventure and experience, and I’m the only person who’d understand it. These books felt very special and quite different to the usual sketchbooks I’d use at home.

Once I returned, I dug deeper into this new process and continued to use notebooks to document life. By doing so, it motivated me to interact with the outside world more. My studio remained vacant but my car’s mileage was ticking as I drove places to interpret and translate into (even more) notebooks, which I now call my adventure journals.

I felt adventurous – driving to places on my own, allowing myself to get lost in the countryside, hauling my art supplies around and truly making the most out of the environment I was in. This may seem like a breeze to some, but for a long time, if you’ve read my story before, you’ll know that I couldn’t interact with the world. So, this was a big deal for me.

My reset button had most definitely been pressed.

Present Day

What do you consider an adventure?

I redefined what the word meant to me:

Whether it be long or short, near or afar, an adventure is a physical and mental process of looking, seeking, finding and collecting. When you go on an adventure, you’re capturing moments, making minutes count and living life to the fullest.

And this is what I do.

I explore my mind and my surroundings to make artwork that tells stories. Wherever I go, I take a journal with me to interpret, record and comprehend the environment I’m in. I make marks from sounds, blend colours from landscapes, put into words the textures beneath my feet and write down overheard conversations. I’ve discovered that creating art is my preferred method of communicating how I see, hear and feel. In doing so, I want to demonstrate to people that embarking on an adventure and feeling the bark of a tree is not only a physical process, but also a mental one.

This year kicked off with a collaboration with Hobbycraft. Have you read it yet?

Here’s to 2018. It’s going to get adventurous.

See what I get up to on Instagram.

6 Reasons to Buy Original Art for Your Home

October 26th, 2017 by Emma

Do you buy original art for your home or work space? If you do, that’s great – thank you for supporting our practice as artists. If you don’t, I’m going to talk you through a few reasons why you should.

1. It’s One of a Kind

When you buy original art, it’s a one of a kind- no one else has it.

Think of clothing- when you go to a party, the supermarket or wherever, it’s not ideal when you see someone else wearing the exact same outfit as you. So, why not take this ideology and apply it to the interior design of your home and/or office? Granted, it’s not embarrassing to have a mass produced art print hanging on your wall- I’ve bought many myself because obviously I can’t afford an original Frankenthaler or Picasso. However, what about original artwork that is within your budget? Nowadays, a lot of original artwork is really quite affordable, especially work by emerging artists that you typically find on social media.

Many artists, like myself, also offer commissions. A commission is a bespoke piece of art tailored just for you and only you. My process involves a lot of back and forth with my customer, where we talk about colours, themes, energy, emotion etc. in order to create the ideal artwork for their space and personality.

It’s pretty much impossible to recreate the same artwork again exactly, so having an original artwork hanging on your wall is pretty special.

2. It Sparks Conversation

This may not relate to everyone, but I think that having a beautiful piece of art hanging on your walls at home sparks conversation. Whether it be a guest, your parents, your children, whoever- behind every artwork is a story, a theme and a reason of purchase. When it comes to abstract art, quite often, people have varying opinions about what is seen/felt upon viewing the work, which I always find fascinating. Opinions of artwork always differ from individual to individual and in my experience, debates do happen. Heated or not, talking about art is still a great way to find out more about someone.

So, buy original art for your homes to open up minds, inspire and stimulate creativity!

3. It Brings a Room Together

So, this one is a bit of an obvious one and the reason why a lot of people prefer having commissioned artwork- it brings a room together and provides an instant colour palette. When you move into a new home or you redecorate your house, you have a variety of things to think about- design wise. What about the colour of the walls, the curtains, the sofas and the cushions; the layout of the television, the mirrors, the side tables and the lamp? There are many things to consider when you’re trying to make your home a more beautiful place to live in. Having an original artwork as a statement piece in any room can quite often be the cherry on top of the cake- whether it’s added in first or last. Give it a go- have a look around your home and see whether you find a wall that is crying out for a colourful/large/small/emotive piece of artwork.

4. It Personalises Your Home

Just like how we dress ourselves or how we wear our hair, owning original artwork can be how you style your home. Sure- you may have a print of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”, a poster of The Rolling Stones and a family photograph up in your house (which is perfectly fine), but what about a real painting, with tangible textures and vibrant colour. You can chose an original artwork that not only matches your living room to bring the colour scheme all together, but also one that reflects your personality, whether it be dark and gloomy, peachy and floral or explosive and alluring- your style, your home, your choice.

Having artwork up at home can also be very beneficial to your mood and mindset. When you view your artwork, you may experience feelings of happiness or provide you with a moment of zen after a stressful day, it may also make you feel proud if it was something you saved up for and treated yourself with.

5. It Supports an Artist’s Practice

This is an important one.

You know when someone is good at mathematics and they become an accountant, or fantastic with their hands and become a mechanic? Well, us artists are born with a need to create, our ‘talent’, if you will, is to express ourselves, to put paint onto surface and to make things. The problem is, a lot of us are unable to translate our talent into earning income. I can’t tell you how many times people have said ‘..and what else do you do?’ after I’ve told them that I am an artist. Unfortunately, quite often it’s not acknowledged as a ‘proper job’ and many people resist spending money on our work, especially when it’s abstract, the ‘easy’ work that ‘looks like a child did it’. Abstract art is very misunderstood and sometimes, I feel that we have to work even harder to find people to purchase work of this kind- it’s crazy!

This needs to change. For us to be able to use our talent to earn money in the way we feel we are destined to, we need you to support our practice. We need you to help us top up our supplies, keep up with the rent of our studio space and to enable us to work. Yes, to work– just like how a hairdresser, a plumber, a doctor or a teacher would.

Musicians- they’re artists. Have you ever bought a CD or a song on iTunes? I’m assuming at some point you have. Well, buying music is like buying artwork. You’re not just paying for an awesome song to listen to, you’re also paying for the musician to continue their work. It’s the same for us- visual artists!

6. It could be an investment

A lot of money flies around in the art world. So, if you were to buy original art, particularly from an emerging artist, it could be a sound investment. The artist could very well go on to be a renown artist, which in turn makes the artwork you have bought a lot more valuable. Obviously, there is no guarantee that this will happen but it would be worth keeping on the look out and following along with the journey of the artist’s career because you never know what might happen!

You can view my original artwork here.

Catch-25: A Weird Brain in The Art World

October 5th, 2017 by Emma

“I bet my brain is weirder than your brain”, said a customer yesterday, as I was running my Mum’s music shop. We were having a conversation about how all of us think differently and how life never pans out the way we imagined when we were younger. I didn’t know how to respond to what he said, so I just said, ‘who knows?!’

I’m 25 years old.

Why is it that when you’re a teenager, your twenties seem like they’re going to be easy-going and fun with a clear path of how your life is going to pan out? (Well, perhaps this is just how I felt.) When you’re in your twenties, wow- you’re going to be so grown up and it will be a time where you travel the world, soul-searching, meeting new people, getting offered opportunity after opportunity, then finally landing your dream job, settling into a grind you’re super comfortable with. Hey, perhaps you’ll even meet the love of your life along the way, elope in a tropical island and start thinking about the ‘baby’ word. Hah- I think not. My 15 year old self would be beside herself if she knew what being in her twenties entailed!

OK- it’s not all bad. I still get asked for ID when I buy a lottery ticket, so at least I still look 15. Then again, perhaps this isn’t a good thing..

Granted, many people, a couple of my friends in fact, have indeed done the travelling, settled in a good job and (I assume) are enjoying the grind of life. It is possible. But I can’t help but think about where I’ve gone wrong. Well, is it wrong – or is it just different?

BEING HONEST WITH MYSELF

After talking with a friend, who is also a creative/artistic/perplexed type, I’m starting to realise that perhaps my life isn’t going the way I planned because of the way my brain is wired. It’s as if my brain is it’s own ‘catch-22’- I’m very idealistic, I have all these dreams and goals that I set myself but I’m too self-critical to do anything about them. Before I start walking down the path to these ‘unrealistic’ goals, I stop myself before I’ve even put my shoes on. Instead of just snapping out of it and getting on with the tasks at hand, I question my ability to the nth degree. I can’t do it. It will take too long. I’m not good enough. So, nothing gets done and life stays the same.

Hold on, it gets a little more complicated.

I then get fed up of life staying the same and can’t understand why it doesn’t change. The answer is written right here in front of me and yet, I still don’t understand why I’m in my mid-twenties with not much progression. I’m troubled with my own intellect and stupidity all at once. I’m analytical, able and dedicated in my approach of setting goals and imagining the endgame, but then become blank, careless and doubtful about the actions that are needed to be carried out to get to these goals. On top of this, if I do start a task, my impatience leaves me unsatisfied with the length of time it will actually take to complete.

Unfortunately, this brain wiring doesn’t bode well with a career in the art world. The art world is a very competitive, scary and difficult place to succeed. Quite often, galleries won’t even consider you if you don’t have an MA, multiple press features and numerous residencies under your belt, regardless of how ‘good’ or ‘innovative’ your artwork is.

On a personal level, I find this really hard to deal with. Due to my past indecisiveness and self-doubt, I’ve accumulated a student loan of over £40,000. This isn’t so much of a big deal because the pay back methods are quite chilled out here, but what it does mean is that I’m unable to apply for any other student-type loan. So, a Masters will only happen if I spend a year or so working to save for it. Granted, this is how most people get themselves through a Masters degree but I struggle to even envisage working 9-5 sat behind a desk or till any more than I already have. It’s a catch-22 all over again.

From recent experiences, I’ve learned that life is way too short to be unhappy in your everyday. When I look back on the days of working in retail, with the constant clock watching and longing to get home- that isn’t a life I want to live. I totally get it- woe is me! These are first world problems and to some degree I just need to suck it up and work like every other person to put food on the table and save for life things. However, there’s been something in my brain that hasn’t let me do it. My subconscious hasn’t allowed me to make decisions that cause me any unhappiness. Instead- I’ve just sat, daydreaming and longing for this life as a renown artist, expecting opportunities to be thrown at me from all directions.

Now, there’s nothing I want more than to work super hard in the right direction. But- what direction?

ASKING THE IMPOSSIBLE

I’m sat here now, at what was my Dad’s desk, thinking about what he would do if he was me. It’s hard to tell- the amount of times he told me to quit my jobs in retail because of how unhappy they made me and the amount of times he told me to work for myself, it’s hard to know what to do. I’m asking the impossible now, but how do I get to where I want to be without sacrificing my happiness for one second? It’s taken me so long since my Dad passed away to get this happiness and I don’t want to let go of it. Sure, I’m not happy all the time- obviously. I still get very emotional about Dad, frustrated with my progress in the gym, angry at the news, jealous of other artist’s studio spaces, heartbroken about not being able to attend a certain exhibition in San Francisco and unsatisfied with the tasteless stir fry I just made- life can’t be happy all the time. But one thing I can control, is the happiness I feel in my everyday job.

Over the last few months, I’ve been making and selling artwork, which is great. But I want to dig deeper. I’m going to start fresh and make more of an effort to immerse myself into the real world of art, to meet other artists, attend events and visit galleries more frequently. I’m heading to London next week, want to meet for a coffee and talk about art?

In addition, I’m going to start from scratch and push the reset button with my studio practice. Therefore, my studio needs to be emptied. Find marked down original artwork at my shop.

AN ADVENTURE ARTIST

Lately, I’ve been looking, listening, exploring and studying in order to develop a new process of making artwork. This artwork won’t just be medium on a surface, representing this and that, it will be artwork that is honest with an engaging disposition. In the past I’ve been selfish with my way of making artwork because I needed to be. Now that I’m on the other side of grief, where it’s less raw and more manageable, I’m now yearning to make honest artwork for myself and others.

For so long, I’ve taken where I live for granted. So, over the next few months, I’m going to hop in my Ford Fiesta (or Jon’s Audi when he’s acting as my chauffeur) and drive to places here in the UK, seeking colour, texture, sound and conversation.

With new adventures, will come new artwork and I’m labelling myself as an adventure artist.

Now I’ve just got to figure out how I’m going to actually do this.

Come on, brain. You’ve got this.