March Meet the Maker - part 4

I've been really enjoying working through these prompts - it's a nice exercise to encourage reflection and time to ponder what each one means to me.

So this week I'm covering the following prompts - 

- Silver Linings

- Hands on

- Job/s

- Wrapped and packaged

- Starting point

So, first up is Silver Linings. It's been a funny old year. This time a year ago I closed my online shop and studio for all physical products - only keeping the downloadable items available while I waiting to see what was okay to do or not do during the pandemic. With the cancellation of all my workshops, this pause led me to create my downloadable version of the 'Draw the Line' workshop - a beginner level introduction to drawing. 

Since then I have been filming a series of videos for a forthcoming online version of my brush lettering workshop - which will hopefully be completed soon. These I consider silver linings, as if there wasn't a lockdown I wouldn't have got on and created them when I did.

- Hands on

When thinking about this prompt I realised there is very little that I don't do that is hands on - 

hands on the pen, paintbrush, paper, scanner, camera, computer, cards and products, packaging materials, spreadsheets and invoices, natural materials collected for drawing -the lot! 

Last year however, I asked someone else to help - to have their hands on the camera instead of mine. Andrea Gilpin did a wonderful job capturing me and my hands doing the things they do and that I rarely manage to photograph.

The above image of me painting some bracken is one of hers, as is the one below. 

 

- Jobs

As above, there are many jobs that I do, from artist and designer, to book-keeper, marketing manager, photographer, workshop leader, stock checker and post run person! Here are a selection of parcels that are about to head to the post office and off out into the world.

- Wrapped and packaged

I have been tying to use paper and cardboard packaging only where possible - corrugated card to wrap boxes in, paper tape to seal them and brown paper to wrap. I hand address each order which is a real highlight for me - I just love lettering and writing out the exact location of where the parcel is going!

- Starting point

This photograph - also by Andrea Gilpin is symbolic to me of 'starting point'. So many products, cards and original artwork of mine starts as a result of a walk, of spotting something and often collecting something while I'm out. Then it's the turn of the sketchbook and usually a pen. Sometimes I go straight to paper for a bigger piece but the sketchbook is the starting point for the business and for most of the projects.