2016 has been a creative and interesting year for me!
In between my day job and busy family life, I have loved creating new artworks including a range of pieces based on the fantastic buildings here in Leicestershire. My holiday in North Wales was full of coastal inspiration which I have started to draw upon and a trip with my University friends to the city of Cambridge was overwhelming, I have taken so many photos of the amazing architecture and hope to recreate some paintings in my textured style this year. I have also enjoyed playing around with a more simplistic approach to my work, creating small collages with local and coastal themes, bringing this technique into play again for my Christmas themed hearts.
This year I have also painted some lovely commissions and presents for friends and their families. These include my favourite Southwold beach huts, a mixed media painting that now resides hundreds of miles away in Canada, I also loved handing over my quirky LCFC collage to my good friend and life long Leicester fan Louise, on her 50th birthday.
The main highlight of 2016 though had to be getting my work into two galleries. Firstly ‘The Gallery in Sutton Bonnington’ took three prints, including my framed ‘Albert and Victoria’ print. This was quite a daunting experience as it was my first visit to a gallery to show my work, luckily Martin the owner (and silversmith in his own right) was very interested in my style and the quality of my work (phew!). Then I had a meeting a few months later with ‘Wistow Gallery’ in their lovely gallery that is set in the midst of beautiful countryside. It was lovely to receive such positive comments and for them to take most of my work to display, and I have also sold a few pieces which has been the icing on the cake.
As 2017 begins I can’t wait to get creative, continuing with my favourite seaside themes and keeping an eye out on architecture that inspires me (and I hope for more lovely commissions to work on too). I want to grow my numbers on my Facebook page…..please feel free to share my page and get in touch, tell me what themes work for you and what your favourite pieces are. I am also hoping to set up an Etsy shop so I can reach a wider audience, create a range of different sized/priced prints and originals….and keep some of the commission for myself!
So let’s see what happens!
x Sarah